Art

Albuquerque Balloon Festival Timelapse

Even though I thought I could fully anticipate what this video would look like, I still wound up being delightfully surprised. Shot and edited by Joel Schat at the 2013 Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (via swissmiss)

Art

Sculptor Zheng Chunhui Spent 4 Years Carving the World’s Longest Wooden Sculpture

Photo by Lv Ming

Chinese artist Zheng Chunhui recently unveiled this exceptionally large wooden sculpture that measures some 40 feet (12.286) meters long. Four years in the making, the tree carving is based on a famous painting called “Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” which is a historical holiday reserved to celebrate past ancestors that falls on the 104th day after the winter solstice. On November 14th the Guinness World Records arrived in Fuzhou, Fujian Province where the piece is currently on display to declare it the longest continuous wooden sculpture in the world. You can see many more photos over on China News.

Photo by Lv Ming

Photo by Lv Ming

Photo by Lv Ming

Art

An Infinite Staircase by David McCracken

Photo by William Patino

Leighton Wallis

Paul Davis

Currently on view at this year’s annual Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi, Australia is this fun piece titled Diminish and Ascend by artist David McCracken. The welded aluminum stairsteps appear to create an infinite path into the sky, depending on the angle and/or the presence of clouds. Photos courtesy William Patino, Paul Davis, and Leighton Wallis.

Art Photography

Surreal Portraits from Oleg Oprisco

Kiev-based photographer Oleg Oprisco continues to amaze with his surreal style of conceptual photography that makes use of a muted palette, unexpected props, and mysterious figures to paint images from a strange, dreamlike world. You can see more of his most recent work over on Behance.

Art

Ships That Sail Through the Clouds: Meet Luigi Prina, the 83-Year-Old Builder of Flying Model Ships

When he was just 16 years old, Luigi Prina entered and won a national aircraft modeling competition. When he went to collect the prize money the organizers asked the boy why his father couldn’t come and collect it himself. Nearly fifty years later the now successful architect met a painter and boat builder named Eugenio Tomiolo and while they were talking made a bet that perhaps Prina could take one of his small model ships and make it fly like an airplane. Tomolio accepted and it wasn’t long before a small flying boat was whirring in circles around his small studio that coincidentally had clouds painted on the ceiling. A new passion was born and Prina has since dedicated nearly 20 years of his later life to building flying model boats, bicycles and other unconventional aircraft.

The folks over at Blinking City along with photographer Gianluca Giannone recently sat down with the model building for this beautiful photo essay and video.

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City

Illustration Photography

The Surreal Collages of Joseba Elorza

Joseba Elorza is a sound technician who makes a living with his unique brand of digital collage and illustration. The Spain-based artist blends humor, technology, science fiction and anonymous historical photography to create some really splendid digital imagery. You can see much more in his portfolio, and pickup prints in his shop. (via iGNANT)