Graffiti: Expressionist Art

I've started this exploration where every Sunday (and by every I mean the past two weeks) I go for an extensive walk around Brooklyn. I kill two birds with one stone -- I get exercise and get to explore random parts of Brooklyn I might otherwise not see. Seeing as how I'll be moving in June, I thought it only correct to get it right it's time and actually explore a neighborhood before moving to it. This past year in Bed-Stuy has been interesting, but it's time to go. My area is 80% residential with a plethora of fried chicken and Chinese joints. That was cute in the beginning for the Sunday hangover cure, but when the Chinese lady is able to identify you based on voice and know what food to give me when I walk in, you know you have a problem. So thus began the need for exploration. I've taken so many side streets and seen some awesome places, but something that I've particularly have enjoyed is the street art. This all started with me glancing through a book a friend of mine had of the graffiti artist Banksy (Wall and Piece) and I loved so many pieces of his work. And no I haven't been living under a rock and just discovered him, but I never looked at all of the pieces he's done. As I walked around, I kept seeing walls covered in beautiful work. So I documented some of my favorite ones and I bring them to you. Enjoy!

Is that Frida Kahlo I see...You betta werq that unibrow. 

Mother Nature ya'll...

This was by far my favorite piece. The choice of colors and the abstraction of her face is perfect. 

This was one of my favorites. It's something the eyes that draws you in. 

I know this isn't graffiti, but this was actually pretty fucking sick. It's salvaged metals refurbished into an apartments parking gate. 

They made it into a map of the surrounding streets. 

The whole lower half of the exterior is covered in this recyclable metal. 

"Why is this art?" love it

The eight-room, 350-square-foot studio apartment

Another architecture bit, Yay! So many people move to New York City with such high hopes and dreams of making a name for themselves. I know this because I did. You're all bright eyed and bushy tailed and when you start that apartment search everything seems golden. That is until you walk into the bite sized apartment that was the equivalent of your closet when growing up. My first apartment was kind of funny looking back on it. My bed took up 80% of my room (see the proof below.) But it was unique. I unfortunately didn't make the most of it and really make it my own space. I did add a couple of shelves, post cards/pictures and a velvet red curtain later, but I saw this as more as a transitory spot from college dorm to WTF AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE type deal.  

But back to the reason for this post...This apartment design maximizes the most with the least. They converted a 350 square foot apartment into an eight room magical haven. Though it might have cost an arm, leg, foot and your first born, it looks simply beautiful. You know I love me some clean and simple design, so the way they accounted for all of these hidden storages and sliding panels is genius! From how the bed is tucked away Murphy style to the guest bedroom being collapsible via a sliding panel. The amount of thinking that must have gone into this is astounding. If there was a way to scale this down price range so the "average" New Yorker (and I use the word average very loosely) could afford to do this, I think a lot more apartments could be transformed in a similar method. Making the most of your New York closets...I mean living abodes. 

Watch the video below of the owner walking us through his home MTV Cribs style (I miss the early 2000s...such good tv.) 

My first room in New York. I literally laughed for 5 minutes looking at this now. 

Earthscape Artist Andres Amador

Found this artist via some friends on Facebook and had to post about it. Andres Amador is a visual artist based out in San Francisco, California whose mediums are primarily the beach and a rake. His work is so fascinating mainly due to the fact of its scale and transient nature. During low tides, he ventures out to create these large artistic visions by raking up the wet sand to create contrast and uses ropes as a guide to create the geometric shapes. He draws inspiration from patterns in nature and uses it to bring the attention of his viewers to the here and now. To take a minute from everything and soak in the moment and beauty that at any second could be washed away. 

I love his art and ideology that his work is kind of like "standing up with pride in the face of our own immortality." He cares more about the process and less about the result, as any artist should. It's should be more about the journey and thought process, something I'm discovering more of everyday. Take a look at some of his work below and an interview he did. 

Check out his website for more: Andres Amador

The artist - Andres Amador

“I can only laugh and appreciate that I had the opportunity to do it at all because any day at the beach is a good one.”

— Andres Amador

His work can take hours to create and minutes to destroy. 

This is my favorite one, because it resembles how the top of the water looks. Almost like a fossilization of the ocean at one point. 

His work can sometimes be over 100,000 sq. ft.  

Casa Del Auga - Ojuelos de Jalisco, Mexico

Another awesome residential design. And it combines with my two favorite elements -- water and glass. Water was the main protagonist and driving force of this design, as it was designed for a professional diver. I don't why I love these two mediums so much. Maybe because I'm such an open person that there are no secrets to be hidden...that's a joke because I'm enigma wrapped in a mystery. No but seriously, there is something quite unique about them that I personally believe, if used correctly, enhances the aesthetic of architecture. 

There are three levels to this house: two floors and a basement. The high ceilings, glass facade and green spaces gives it a very "light and airy" feel. And of course me being the very detailed oriented person I am, am drooling over the spider joints they use on the far left glass facade (see 3 images below for close up.) I used to model every spider joint in my Rhino files for school...which only added to the slowness of me being able to rotate the damn thing.

Architects: a.a.a ALMAZAN Y ARQUITECTOS ASOCIADOS

Photographer: Jorge Moreno

At night it looks awesome lit up from the inside

At night it looks awesome lit up from the inside

This is sexy architecture to me. I gotta fever and the only prescription is more spider joints!

They added garden spaces throughout the interior spaces. 

The front entrance. They call it the water mirror. I would love to walk across, roll and swim in it...you know just to soak it all in. 

I LOVE!!! this lighting feature and overall the interior space. Very clean and minimal. It actually has a very Swiss aesthetic to it. And isn't that just a perfect still of the scenery 

Another exterior shot at nighttime. 

Check out the original posting here: Casa Del Auga

The Square (Al-Midan) Film

So I just finished watching The Square (Al-Midan) and I must say, it is a damn good documentary portraying the struggles of Egypt and it's people since the Egyptian Revolution back in 2011. The film speaks to how Egypt's government has failed the people for the past 30+ years. It takes place from the onset of the revolution with Hosni Mubarak through the coup d'état of Mohammed Morsi. It astounds me how the few people, whom most times are the elected, gain this power rush and think they are gods among men. You were a democratic country --elected by the people FOR the people. This tragic, but beautifully executed documentary does well to bring truth to light. It's depiction of the sit-ins and violent encounters with the military regime and then the fascist ruling of Morsi, show what its like on the frontline and not what is misrepresented by media and glossed over by the government. It shows the harsh reality of what really happens. My heart goes out to the people of Egypt who are fighting everyday for their piece of freedom. It is the basic human right to feel safe and once that is taken, what else is left?   

A Netflix original documentary, "The Square" is a riveting, deeply human chronicle of the Egyptian protest movement from the 2011 overthrow of military leader Hosni Mubarak through the ousting of Mohammed Morsi in 2013. "The Square" premieres January 17, 2014 in all Netflix territories, and in select cities within the United States.

Beyonce - Haunted Choreography

I'm kind of obsessed with this song and this choreography is pretty sick. Check it out 

Cachalotes House - Lima, Peru

It's design like this that makes me miss architecture. The beautiful simplistic thought that went into it astounds me. It was designed to accommodate a typical family with disabled member, while sticking to a functional integration of a modular design. The materials used add a touch of warmness and welcoming that beckons an occupant. 

Night time view of the house

The firm, Gonzalez Moix Arquitectura, designed the house. 

Open space allows for frictionless movement and ample amounts of natural light to penetrate into the house.

Love me a good set of stairs. #Stair porn

My favorite spacing is an open area with glass everywhere. 

Awesome view of the pool. I'm kind of feeling it...A LOT! 

I would love to have a night gathering here with the closets of friends 

Check out the original posting here: Cachalotes House

Christmas in Jamaica

So this past Christmas, I took a vacation to the beautiful and sunny island of Jamaica. I am half Jamaican (Mom's side of the family) so it was so amazing to finally get a chance to go and see where my family was born and raised. Words cannot even describe how unique and breathtaking some of the areas were. I was able to travel a good portion of the island in a week and took hundreds of photos that I'll try to post at a later date. For now I took a few and created this awesome layout using Exposure. Check it out!