Category Archives: March 2014
Editor’s Letter
“If all that survives of our fatally flawed civilization is the humble paper clip, archaeologists from some galaxy far, far away may give us more credit than we deserve. In our vast catalog of material innovation, no more perfectly conceived object exists…..with it’s bravura loop-within-a-loop, the clip corrals the most chaotic paper simply by obeying Hooke’s law.” – Elegant Solutions by Owen Edwards Continue reading Editor’s Letter
Found Objects as Visual Art: Observations & Application in Oaxaca
By Alvin Starkman
As a consequence of the innovative thinking of Kurt Schwitters, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Rauschenberg and others, the 20th century bore witness to the concept of found object as visual art becoming a mainstream European and American medium of artistic expression. In Oaxaca, itself known for cutting edge art, found object has received attention over the past 20 years. Take for example the masterful works of Damién Flores, the collages produced by Rodolfo Morales during the final years of his life, and young Mixteco artist Manuel Reyes’ use of archaeological pieces as well as local sands and soils as aids in expressing the strong sense of indigeneity he seeks to impart through art. Continue reading Found Objects as Visual Art: Observations & Application in Oaxaca
Eagerly Awaiting 2014’s New Books
By Carole Reedy
SPRING
Frog Music by Emma Donoghue Author of the best-seller Room and the delightful book of short stories based on old newspaper clippings, Astray, her newest book is a story of intrigue and murder that takes place in 19th century San Francisco. Continue reading Eagerly Awaiting 2014’s New Books
Mazunte’s Tropical Nursery
By Wes Chowaniec
After 25 years of cultivating and planting, a new nursery has evolved on the pristine beach of Mermejita, Mazunte you will encounter a family-run venture that raises organic tropical plants and herbs. As you pass through the gates of the garden, it has a dream like feel about it. Continue reading Mazunte’s Tropical Nursery
Putting Mexico City On The Map: Contemporary Art Among The Ruins
By Carole Reedy
When most tourists ponder a visit to this grand city, they envision spending their days wandering pyramids and castles, viewing pre-Colombian artifacts in museums, and roaming cobblestone streets in search of the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera domiciles. In fact, most visitors to DF focus on the past rather than exploring the contemporary cultural scene, as they might in London or Paris. Continue reading Putting Mexico City On The Map: Contemporary Art Among The Ruins
Accessible Architecture and Design
By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken
Mexico City is one of the most stimulating cities in the world for exploring architecture and design — readily accessible to the visitor, in every meaning of the word. While many cities are famed for their magnificent monuments and buildings, many impose numerous hands-off limitations. Mexico City landmarks are much more likely to invite residents and visitors to use every sense, including tactile discovery, to become familiar with design and architecture. The recently renovated Museo Tamayo, in Chapultepec Park, is one sterling example. Continue reading Accessible Architecture and Design
“Only in Mexico” They Say
By Dardan Surring
It came out of the blue, mentioned by one of our friends at Condos Pacifico. Mexican wrestling was coming to Huatulco Saturday night and he was putting together a gang to attend. First, it conjured up images of burly men in masks, resembling Marvel superheroes and other weird stuff. It also brought to mind actor Jack Black’s movie “Nacho Libre”, where he secretly poses as a Mexican wrestler to save an orphanage. Continue reading “Only in Mexico” They Say
Sustainable Design
By Kary Vannice
Google “sustainable design” and the first ‘hit’ you get is from Wikipedia. Not a bad place to start, if you are unfamiliar with this new emerging school of thought.
Wikipedia defines sustainable design as, “the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability”. Continue reading Sustainable Design
Origami, the Ultimate in Simplistic, Yet Ornate Design
By Kary Vannice
Origami, the ancient art of paper folding, is simplistic because it requires only a single sheet of paper, and ornate because the complex figures one can produce through the simple action of folding. Continue reading Origami, the Ultimate in Simplistic, Yet Ornate Design
You must be logged in to post a comment.