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Art Photography

Washed Up: Alejandro Duran's Site-Specific Found Plastic and Trash Installations

Working along a single stretch of coastline in Sian Ka’an, Mexico’s largest federally-protected reserve, artist Alejandro Duran collects countless bits of trash that washes up from locations around the world. So far he’s discovered plastic debris from dozens of countries on this shore of the Caribbean coast which he utilizes for site site-specific installations for an ongoing project titled Washed Up. By creating aesthetically pleasing landscapes from a disheartening medium, it’s Duran’s hope to create a harsh juxtaposition that draws attention to the global catastrophe of ocean pollution. He shares in a statement about Washed Up:

Over the course of this project, I have identified plastic waste from fifty nations on six continents that have washed ashore along the coast of Sian Ka’an. I have used this international debris to create color-based, site-specific sculptures. Conflating the hand of man and nature, at times I distribute the objects the way the waves would; at other times, the plastic takes on the shape of algae, roots, rivers, or fruit, reflecting the infiltration of plastics into the natural environment.

More than creating a surreal or fantastical landscape, these installations mirror the reality of our current environmental predicament. The resulting photo series depicts a new form of colonization by consumerism, where even undeveloped land is not safe from the far-reaching impact of our disposable culture.

Duran just received the Juror’s Award from CENTER for his efforts, and has upcoming exhibitions at Habana Outpost in Brooklyn and at the XO KI’IN Retreat Center. (via This Isn’t Happiness, LENSCRATCH)

Photography

Aerial Adria: An Italian Beach Resort Photographed from Above by Bernhard Lang

Several years ago, Munich-based photographer Bernhard Lang vacationed at a seaside resort in Adria, Italy and was struck by the perfectly uniform arrangements of colored umbrellas used by each hotel. Last month he returned, this time by air, and shot for several hours on the coastline between Ravenna and Rimini. Lang is well known for his aerial photography of locations around Germany including coal mines, residential life, and industrial sites. You can see more over on Behance. All photos courtesy the photographer. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

Photography

A Maldives Beach Awash in Bioluminescent Phytoplankton Looks Like an Ocean of Stars

While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. You can see a few more of Ho’s photographs over on Flickr.

Art

Jim Denevan etches impermanent geometric drawings into California beaches

Jim Denevan is a surfer, a sand artist, and a self-taught chef, the man behind the traveling outdoor dining experience Outstanding in the Field. His geometric sand sculptures are made with little more than rakes and sticks and can span miles of North California beaches. The pieces take many hours to create but can often disappear much quicker as the incoming tide gently erases them from earth.

Music

Mumford & Sons: The Cave

Apparently I have been living in a cave because this music video released last year by Mumford and Sons has nearly five million views and a quick tour check shows they played, literally, in my back yard at the Riviera theater here in Chicago a few months ago and I was none the wiser. The four-member English folk rock band set the internet on fire last night (and crashed their own web site) after a quick 2-minute opener for Bob Dylan with the song above. I’m sure for some of you this is tantamount to me discovering a hot new band called “Radiohead”, but if it’s new to just a few of you my work here is done.

Design

Habitation Y-BIO Chill-Out Colony

Habitation Y-BIO, by Alix Shelest and Archinoma is a modular camping system meant to be erected right on top of the sand (and is also destined for Burning Man). There are seven main components including a central 2-level pyramid, several satellite “tents” and a fire pit. See the full gallery here. (via iain claridge)