Alexander Semenov - White Sea Bestiary
Most people think that pretty, colourful animals can not live in the cold dark water of the northern seas beyond the Polar Circle. This is almost true; there are no coral reefs, no clownfish or any other funny colored fish. The White Sea reveals another world with its own aliens, highlighting some truly amazing creatures. These colourful life forms will surprise anyone from a housewife to an experienced specialist. The Arctic fauna offers a totally different view of life forms then I’ve previously seen. It’s unique, inspiring and fascinating to study.
Car Design: Past vs. Present
Being an industrial designer, a wannabe car designer, and a car enthusiast is all too confusing. The design side says to be interested in the bold, imaginative, and new while the enthusiast side says there’s nothing like a classic.
I’ve been thinking about this topic for some time now after multiple people asked my thoughts on modern car design vs. car design of the past. Some folks think compared to old, classic cars, new cars look hideous. If these folks are referring to today’s commuter cars, then yes, I agree 100%. But assuming they are talking about real cars, I’m not sure I can agree or disagree.
In 30 years, will we be able to look back to today’s cars and say, “Man, you remember cars of the early 2000s? That’s when they looked like they should.” Only time will tell.
Cars have been around for well over a century and their aesthetics have changed in that time. Changes have stemmed from materials & technology, war, love, fashion, consumer needs & wants, racing, aerodynamics, and aeronautics, among others.
Of course, the automobile has gotten more complex. The desire for comfort, technology, some extra space, and modern safety regulations make for a dynamic piece of machinery. Mechanical advancement coupled with experimental design has shaped what cars have become. This experimental design is called Avant-garde in the art world.
On top of all this, design tools have changed. The past saw clay models and hand fabricated body panels and although clay is still used in the process, aerodynamics, 3D CAD programs, and CNC milling machines have quite literally shaped what cars look like. While the design process is not as hands on as it used to be, creative car designs are still thought up by people.
The fact is, every decade has seen its hits and misses. It’s easy to make a classically beautiful vehicle, but it’s difficult to make a car look different and still look good. There will never be another Jaguar E-Type or Ferrari 250 GT California, and there shouldn’t be. If designers kept trying to design another E-Type, there would never be a Lamborghini Countach or a Ferrari F40 or an Ariel Atom or a Lancia Stratos. The past is behind us and should be cherished, but Avant-garde is the way of the future.
Photos via AutoGuide, Road&Track, and various other sources.
Your Own Hand Built Bugatti Veyron, Free
That’s right, all 159 parts are free but you do have to assemble it yourself. It only takes a few days to build one with only a few tools that you probably have laying around the house. This is for anyone with the time, know-how, and patience.
What’s the catch? It’s approximately 1:6 scale, oh yes, and it’s made of paper.
You can download all 44 printable pages from VisualSpicer for free. They ask for donations for those who download, but it’s optional. Prints come with full instructions so assembly shouldn’t be that difficult, just time consuming. There are some pretty impressive builds on the site too. Check out one of the time lapsed build videos which is pretty cool here.
Location: Savannah, Ga.
Price: $5,250,000
The Skinny: Situated right at the head of Savannah’s famed Forsyth Park, this urban mansion is one of the best examples of historic restoration available in America today. Built in 1857 for lawyer and Confederate general William F. Brantley—who, by the way, was later murdered in a family feud—the 9,700-square-foot manse was renovated over two years, starting in 2007. Tastefully updated and immaculately presented, the five-bedroom, seven-bath home is nearly perfect, save for the overwrought kitchen and the over-the-top master bath. Still, the brilliant parlor and the broad park-view porches make up for those small missteps and help to justify the $5.25M price tag, a $3.325M price hike since the last time the place sold, prior to the renovation, back in 2005.(via Magnificent Savannah Mansion Suffers From a Few Missteps - House of the Day - Curbed National)
Jaume Osman Granda is a designer from Vilanova i la Geltrú, near Barcelona. He studied multimedia programming at the Polytechnic University in Terrassa.
