Insanely Complex Ceramics Made By Hand, Not 3-D Printer

Irish artist Nuala O’Donovan draws on patterns found in nature to create impossibly complex abstract sculptures. And she makes them using something else found in nature: her own two hands.

Nuala O’Donovan’s porcelain ceramics look in every way like the stuff of high-tech manufacturing. They’re intensely complicated sculptures, riffing on some of nature’s most elaborate visual spectacles, from snowflakes and flowers to pine cones and radiolaria.

For the complete article, please visit:  http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664888/insanely-complex-ceramics-made-by-hand-not-3-d-printer

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Rolex Learning Center is a Work of Art

As featured in Architectural Digests "Buzz Worthy Buildings" the Rolex Learning Center is a work of art in itself!

Funded by luxury watchmaker Rolex and described as “an intimate public space” by co-architect Kazuyo Sejima, of SANAA, this undulating concrete-and-glass structure in Lausanne, Switzerland, combines laboratories, a library, restaurants, social spaces, and more on the campus of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.  

Perforated with openings that admit sunlight and frame plazas, patios, and other public spaces, the roof has an organic profile that swells and subsides. SANAA’s founders, Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, were awarded the 2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the jury hailing the partners for their “vision of a building as a seamless whole, where the physical presence retreats and forms a sensuous background for people, objects, activities, and landscapes.”

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/features/2011/07/architecture-survey#ixzz1TKAu5Ytf

Buzz-Worthy Architectural Building Pushing the Boundaries of Design and Energy Consumption

 

Amsterdam-based UNStudio designed the sculptural white ridges on the façade of this office building in Groningen, the Netherlands, to be more than merely ornamental. Environmental studies indicate that the wedge shapes reduce energy consumption by acting as shades to control the amount of direct sunlight. The architecture firm also created the structure, occupied by the national tax office and the student loan administration, to be easily converted into housing, should the tenants ever decide to depart.

Photo: Ronald Tilleman, Courtesy of UNStudio

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/features/2011/07/architecture-survey#ixzz1TK994b72

 

 

Industrial-Chic Art Displays

Bulldog Clips
Inspiration We first saw this industrial-chic clip technique used at a Columbia College gallery display of Bird Machine posters.
How to Make a pencil mark on the wall at each corner of the poster, so you know where to hammer the nails. Nail through the center of four bulldog clips (one at every corner) and hang the poster (buck naked or mounted on matte board) against the wall. If you want to create a sense of depth, wrap one end of clear fishing wire around a nail and loop the other end through the hole in the bulldog clip so the poster hangs freely a few inches from the wall. (If your poster rolls up, add weights to the bottom of the paper.) Vary the lengths of the fishing wire with a group of prints for visual variety.

Clipboards
Inspiration Being a magazine fiend sometimes pays off. We were inspired by photographs of the studio of Scandinavian artist Lotta Jansdotter in out-of-print mag Blueprint (it’s still online, though: blogs1.marthastewart.com/blueprint), which showed the artist using about a dozen clipboards on her wall to organize her ideas.
How to Simply nail through the center of the clipboards onto the wall, then post a few of your favorite postcards and small prints on each board.

Plexiglas and foam board
Inspiration The combination of scant funds and scores of work forces art students to get creative with their showcasing techniques. As a result, the frame-free Plexiglas approach has popped up at university galleries around town.
How to Blick Art Materials (42 S State St, 312-920-0300) has everything you need for this DIY framing job. Slide your print between a piece of foam board ($2–$4) and precut Plexiglas ($2–$20). Adhere the unit to the wall using either L-shaped nails ($10 for a box of 100) or Frameless Swiss Corner Clips (starting at $10), which, unlike the basic nail and hammer method, securely bind the foam and Plexiglas together with clips before you hang the piece on the wall.

Of course you can always call us....we can help you choose artwork, framing, help you install your artwork, rotate your art every 3 to 6 months and more!  We work with clients throughout the US and offer a complimentary initial visit.  Call us at (888) 440-9260 or visit our website: www.artrentandlease.com for details.

For the complete article courtesy of TimeOutChicago: http://timeoutchicago.com/shopping-style/home-design/55513/hang-art-without-a-frame

Design Thinking Can Yield Results IF Expections are Managed

It may not be a silver bullet, but design thinking can yield results if companies manage their expectations and commit themselves to implementing good ideas.

These excerpts from fastcodesign.com really hit home when it comes to artwork - many times our  clients know they need artwork but fail to strategize on how to actually accomplish this task. 

At Art Rent and Lease, we can only help the client with budget, selection, installation, etc. - we can't force them to make a choice, but they can let our experts choose for them.  We can't force them to get their team to collaborate, but they can let our experts collaborate.  Why leave old, outdated artwork on the walls when you can replace quickly, easily and inexpensively.....just get it done by letting us help YOU.

Some quotes from the article:

• Ideas are a dime a dozen; it’s implementation that decides triumph or failure.
• To work, design thinking must meet with realistic expectations.

These realistic expectations are what make design thinking work. Perhaps companies would have better luck if they spent more time formulating the right expectations at the outset. For our part, creative consultancies have an obligation to explain more clearly what we can't do -- that a great strategy doesn't solve a problem by itself. It can be daunting, even painful, to tell our clients this truth, but doing anything less is asking to fail.

For the complete article, please visit: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664575/the-best-strategy-for-big-innovation-knowing-your-limits?partner=co_newsletter

For help with your artwork project give us a call:  (888) 440-9260

Compelling Interiors: Contemporary Art Beautifully Paired with 18th-Century Desk

From Architectural Digest

For the renovation of her Manhattan duplex, designer Elissa Cullman of Cullman & Kravis, collaborated with architect John B. Murray. Above: Crotch-mahogany doors swing open to reveal the library, where Kenneth Noland’s 1962 acrylic Warm Reverie beckons from above the sofa. To the left is a late-18th-century English writing desk.

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/features/2008/11/art_slideshow_112008#ixzz1TK2qzQvX

If you need compelling artwork for your interior project, office, lobby or conference room, contact us for a free consultation: 888-440-9260 Art Rent and Lease.

How to Use Royalty Free Web Clip Art

A beautiful original oil painting by Atlanta artist Ronda Waiksnis - while not free clip art, original works of art are available for rent and lease to businesses throughout the US!  Call (888) 440-9260 for more information or visit our website at www.artrentandlease.com.

A great article from eHow:

Copyright and usage rules apply to clip art, just like any other image or photograph. It is important to understand the correct, legal use of clip art before incorporating it into any of your projects or content.

1 ~  Distinguish between clip art licenses, realizing that most of it is either considered public, meaning it is completely free for use, or royalty free. Royalty free means you must purchase a limited license, which is sold to allow personal, educational or non-profit use of the clip art images. For example, purchasing the Microsoft Word program gives you a license to use all clip art images included within the program.

2 ~  Check Microsoft Word's collection of clip art to see whether what you are looking for is available. Using clip art from a legally purchased version of Microsoft Word is the easiest way to ensure the clip art you are using is royalty free and legal to use for as long as your license for Microsoft Word is valid.

3 ~  Purchase a CD of clip art images, which may include a collection of anywhere from a hundred to thousands of graphics for royalty-free use. These CDs can be found from online stores, as well as office supply and computer stores.

4 ~  Get the best images you can afford. Finding the cheapest price for royalty-free clip art might not be the best approach, as cheaper clip art may be lower in quality and more widely used. If you are looking for a more exclusive or unique image, it is best to be willing to pay a little more to secure the rights to use it.

5 ~  Access a website like Microsoft Office Online or CoolArhive.com to find royalty free clip art (see Resources below). Many websites offer free clip art for use on the Web, as long as you are using it for non-commercial purposes. Others charge low, one time or monthly fees to download images.

Read more: How to Use Royalty Free Web Clip Art | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2091748_use-royalty-free-web-clip.html#ixzz1RXAeCOLq