Gran Pa Orca

Where books come to life?

2010-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

What to say, Papercraft, Animation, and books.

Books,

Do you just glance at them, just look at the pictures?

Or
Do you place them on a shelf and admire like a photograph?
Do you use their physical self for some purpose?

Do you sit down with them, read them and take in their universe?

They are the closest thing we have to a time machine and multi-universe Tardis of Dr. Who.
Here are some rather different uses of books.

Add voice over tell a story
(double click graphics to get full size)

Going West

or sing a song Lisa Hannigan - Lille

Or re-purpose them into a 3rd dimension
Thomas Allen 'Pulp Fiction'

Models Made Out of Books [44 Photos]

Enjoy a book in what ever form you may find it.

Bizarre, Wacky, Wird Music and Good

2010-02-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ever hear of Dr. Demento? He played crazy covers and versions of songs. Who can forget the immortal "Will the Turtle be unbroken?".

These web stations give the dear Dr a run for the money.

WFMU 91.1 FM a "freeform" real radio station out of Jersey City, New Jersey has "WFMUs Beware of the Blog".
This is a blog of things that have been found under rocks and sometimes meadow muffins. Like a single by a winning German soccer team, Capitol Production Music Sampler, the complete library of the J's with Jamie (they sang commercials and ad backgrounds), and one cannot forget Kellogg's Rice Krispies commercials from 1983.
There is much much more. You will never be the same after you look through their archives. You may even get lessons on teaching your parrot!

I haven't figured this one out yet. Mundo Estranho De PB is from Brazil, in Portuguese. It is a varied collection of music that came through, inspired by, or is from Brazil. There is quite a bit early electronic music. Stockhausen comes to mind. "Kommunion" and "Intensitat" from "Aud den siebentagen".

If you scroll down this page you are in for a treat. You will come upon the Andromeda Strain soundtrack. This is one of my all time graphic art favorites. A Science Fiction movie, a Hexagonal LP in an Origami folded purse. Can not get any better. Keep on Scrolling for OLD electronic music.

But mainly it is a variety Latin music, Electronic, music history with much more.

"Killers Kill, Dead Men Die" Vanity Fair - 2007

2009-12-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

It is truly fascinating how I find things on the web, not not really find, more like fall into.

That is one thing I liked about libraries, you know those big places with lots of books in lots of rows. At the University of Washington, main and aeronautical libraries, I would roam the stacks looking for something. Never knew what it was, but I knew it was there somewhere. What caught my eye? The amount of dust on the book? A folio with odd color end papers? A crackled spine with water spots? What is this behind the books on this shelf?

That was how I found the original German WWII documents describing the Horten flying wing aircraft.

The Web is more like an antique mall, you look here and there, follow down a path to another alcove or another room or even a new floor and rummage in every box.

The thing different about the web is there are many many more searchers out there!

So, how did I come upon "Killers Kill, Dead Men Die" a photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz in Vanity Fair - 2007? By way of a blog on aircraft from Russia and clicking on a comments link that looked interesting. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The fascinating thing about this is the recreation of Film Noir, where all the characters are stars. The 2007 Hollywood Portfolio Killers Kill, Dead Men Die

Here is a slide show of the photo shoot. Can you name all the stars?

The Big Shoot - The story behind the pictures. The Big Shoot

Here is a video of the photos with a narrative. Killers Kill - video

And a behind the scenes video, making of ...

Behind the scenes photo portfolio
Sit back dim the light and enjoy the dark ambiance of Film Noir.

Upscale Music - Mercedes Mixtape

2009-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

For you music listening pleasure I present two upscale sites. Both offer an excellent selection of current music from all around the globe:

First is Mercedes Mixtape TV. Yes this is THE Mercedes. Clever marketing: offer free music to download and you can watch some very well produced ads. The current is mix tape 30 and all have been worth the wait. They come out about every 8 weeks. So far I have been able to collect all 30.

If you want to listen to music online, download over 27,000 free, legal albums, or are a musician and want to publish / expose your music to the world, Jamendo.com is the place. Jamendo is a world forum. Just about every type of music from every part of the world is there. You can listen to their radio station or browse the different genres and choose the music you want to download. These are professional quality, produced music with art and the full works. You can contribute or buy most of the music. Well worth taking a look at if you are getting tired of formatted programming on most commercial stations, the limited play-lists of most web stations, and those truly "amateur" offerings. Granted, those can be really fun to listen too.

Enjoy and listen to the world.

WWI images from Library and Archives Canada

2009-11-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

I find it always interesting looking back at pictures from the past.
Here is an archive of pictures from WWI and Canada in the early 1900s.

Most of these pictures are about a century old now.

Most are not of WWI its self, but of Canada, immigration, and everyday life in canvas, posters, and photos. Yes, this is another culture. A peek at how they lived up North.
Enjoy as you digest your Thanksgiving left-overs.

The Future We Were Promised

2009-11-25T12:51:00.001-08:00

More pre-mid-20th century posters.

I like the posters in this era for their simplicity. Very sparse, little detail, but they really get their point across.

These are from a site called "Dieselpunk" another blog where you might find anything old. A great source for a picture of the past and what the past thought the future would be like.

1920's - plus
Swiss Poster history

1940-1960
Authur Radebaugh:The Bright Future

Radebaugh Bohn Ads etc.

Space Age Bachelor Pad Music

2009-11-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, it is now time to show my music side. It is kinda scary.

It is a very eclectic mix. Mix in the modern sense, a little from the past, a little from the present, a little from the future, and a lot from the obscure.

Forever, (when programming, net surfing, graphics, or folding origami) I have found I work best, no I NEED background music to work. Actually closer to Muzak, Random tunes, not many vocals. In the old days I used to record my vinyl to tape (reel-to-reel, cassette) and mix up the tracks. Then a CD set on random and recorded. Next was CDs to hard-disk and random to Winamp.

Now am streaming net radio stations.

Started out listening to SOMAFM.COM Grove Salad till the FCC fiasco a while back.
Switched to SKY.FM their Chillout and New Age channels.

For a switch about 2 weeks ago I went back to SOMA.FM and played around and came upon Illinois St. Lounge.

This is fun! Makes me smile. My brother and I actually bought some of these albums new when they came out. Perry - Kingsley, Martin Denny, and the Electric Concept Orchestra. Very Go Go, Mirror ball, Polyester Leisure Suit; Makes you smile music.

Don't switch that dial,
Stay tuned for the really scary stuff!
Lights Out !

iphone Scanner made of cardboard

2009-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Can never figure out how I get to some places.
I see something that catches my eye, the follow links.
Who knows where they will lead.
iPhone Cardboard Scanning stand.

Today it is making things for sale.

This is really a neat concept.
Simple, you can do it your self.
Ponoko "The world's easiest making system

Simple items, but, the thing is if you have a creative bug waiting to get out here is a way to make it real and test / refine it.

Peregrine Heathcote

2009-11-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Today is nostalgia.
From my music to pictures, aircraft, cars, I gravitate to the 1930 - 1940s and Art Deco styling.
I love the old travel posters of that era.

Here is an artist I discovered on a Diselpunk site Diselpunk

Peregrine Heathcote captures the 1930s but adds some 21st century styling.
Each picture seems to tell a little story.

"Ready" by
Peregrin Heathcode

A book of art

2009-11-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I reconnected with an old friend since childhood. He was lecturing at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Timothy Ely is a bookmaker (not making bets) he makes art books. They really are quite spectacular!

He creates art that is inspired by the book, the art becomes pages of the book, but the book is really inspired by the art.

Timothy C.Ely
Granary Books, "Materia"

Bygone Aviation Posters

2009-10-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

I love everything about aviation. It started early, in fact I had my student pilots license and soloed before I was old enough to get a driver license.

Graphics is another love of mine.

This site marries the two.
Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, "Fly Now" poster collection.

Fly Now!