Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 14, 2009, 12:00 pm
What makes a logo really pop? Clever use of negative space. Using “whitespace” as an active part of the design doesn’t just create visual harmony – it can also produce optical illusions that e...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 13, 2009, 12:17 pm
If the point of driving a supercar is to be seen to best advantage, then the owners of these 10 camouflaged ultimate automobiles are doing it wrong. Then again, “stealth” is a relative ter...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 12, 2009, 3:54 pm
Back in architecture school, students used to spend hours manually assembling panoramas from individual still images or digital camera movie stills. A few years later, here we are with not only the te...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 12, 2009, 12:00 pm
Street lights that look like serpents about to strike. Strange, floating platforms for homes and parks hovering above the clouds. Pet spiders the size of dogs. Surreal battle scenes in Matrix-like com...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 11, 2009, 12:00 pm
Most music lovers can agree that music doesn’t always follow the rules. Some of the most beautiful melodies have come from artists who chose to do their own thing despite conventional wisdom. Th...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 9, 2009, 12:00 pm
Do you have someone for whom you need a present but would classify as naughty and not nice? Do they have a desire for gadgets to make them feel like James Bond? There are spy gadgets designed to go un...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 8, 2009, 12:00 pm
We know winter is upon us when that first snowstorm hits; phone trees are initiated, and jubilant children rush outdoors bundled up into balls of jacket eager to make a snow man. As in any situation, ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 7, 2009, 6:00 pm
Shipping container architecture is one of the biggest (relatively) new things in building these days. With the low cost, environmentally friendliness, and availability of the materials, it’s no ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 7, 2009, 12:00 pm
Forget silly things like human anatomy and the laws of physics. When it comes to Photoshop, reality needn’t apply – just clone, rotate, skew, blur and hope nobody notices. From missing limbs to ou...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 6, 2009, 12:00 pm
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? No longer! Sin City’s magnificent makeover has been a boon for vacationers seeking the best beyond just the bets. Las Vegas’ host of hotels have help...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 5, 2009, 12:00 pm
In a world of Photoshop and special effects, artistic craft wrought by hand is getting harder to come by. But Liu Bolin doesn’t need any fancy technology to produce the jaw-dropping illusion of invi...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 4, 2009, 12:00 pm
A new video and set of photographs is circulating from St. Petersburg, Russia, where the Parkour movement is gaining a strong foothold among the city’s youth. The video shows a young man jumping...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 3, 2009, 12:00 pm
Hyper-realistic paintings and drawings can make us pause and wonder whether they’re real, but there’s another, even more deceptive, form of super-realistic art that’s been in use sin...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 2, 2009, 12:00 pm
What would we do without USB flash drives and gadgets? Some USB drives are so cool you might drool, while some are just bizarre. Whatever you might be inclined to like, you can probably find a USB-pow...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Dec 1, 2009, 6:00 pm
Steel shipping containers are the temporary homes of countless consumer items being transported all around the world. Items are packed into the cargo containers in their country of origin, then shippe...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 30, 2009, 8:00 pm
Prosthetics have been used to replace lost limbs since there have been limbs to be lost; during this time, peg legs and crutches have transformed into power suits and robot arms. The prosthetic limb w...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 30, 2009, 4:00 pm
Ah, Cyber Monday – the infamous online version of the even more dreaded Black Friday. But before we get to that, here are a few exciting new features for WebUrbanist to help you stay connected t...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 30, 2009, 12:00 pm
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to hand out business cards that proclaim you a ‘professional sleeper’, or fortune cookie writer? Of course, for every curiously awesome job, there’s a foul, wre...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 29, 2009, 12:00 pm
Ready to hob nob with some high class doorknobs? These dozen daring twists on a traditionally utilitarian theme will unlock your perceptions of what room decor could and should be. The First Modern D...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 28, 2009, 1:00 pm
Illustrator and graphic designer Marco Escobedo’s work focuses on the surreal and fantastic, using high contrast and richly saturated colors to create scenes and characters that look like they could...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 27, 2009, 12:00 pm
It could be said that the goal of modern art is to surprise viewers and force them to stretch their understanding of “art.” By using completely new methods and/or materials, artists cause ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 26, 2009, 12:00 pm
Thanksgiving is a time for recognizing the positive things in your life, being grateful for everything you have, and acknowledging that, overall, life is good. This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 25, 2009, 12:00 pm
Black Friday . . . are you preparing to battle the holiday shopping crowds? With the economy in a slouch, you had better be ready to fight for the best sales. You have to be fast and first into the st...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 24, 2009, 7:52 am
Umbrellas have come a long way since the first scraps of material arranged to keep the rain off – and nowadays, they have evolved into the elegantly designed multi-spindled construction we’...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 23, 2009, 8:00 pm
Invisible speakers, wireless electricity and games you can control with your brain: all of these things may sound like science fiction, but thanks to recent technological innovation, they’re officia...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 23, 2009, 12:00 pm
The clubhouse is a quintessential symbol of childhood: Children love to play house, pretend they’re guarding a fort, or even just hold secret club meetings. The clubhouse is a child’s priv...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 22, 2009, 12:14 pm
Hungry for some “tasteful” architecture? These 10 mouth-watering buildings may look delicious but their designs serve a greater purpose: to project a brand image that warms the heart (whil...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 21, 2009, 1:00 pm
The opportunity to catch a glimpse at life in a long-ago era in 3D is rare indeed, but thanks to the stereoviews taken by photographer T. Enami, Meiji Japan in the early 1900s momentarily appears vivi...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 20, 2009, 12:00 pm
Photographs of Japan from the Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868-1926) have captivated viewers around the world since they were first circulated. One photographer in particular captured Japanese life so b...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 19, 2009, 12:00 pm
Stairs aren’t just a boring, utilitarian part of our homes and public buildings. They’re an opportunity for an architect to really make a statement and do something bold and distinctive. F...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 18, 2009, 12:00 pm
We geeks love our gadgets. We get bored with simple office instant messaging to co-workers. We get creative. But of course our creativity ties back into our computers and a USB port. It started with n...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 17, 2009, 2:24 pm
The study of musical instruments (’organology’ – no, really) is the study of the human condition. Every culture is defined by its own distinctive set of trills, whistles, parps, honk...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 16, 2009, 8:00 pm
Body modification is a broad category that covers anything from socially acceptable ear piercings to culturally mandated circumcisions, but there’s a small niche in this category that involves t...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 16, 2009, 1:00 pm
Bland, unattractive and cookie-cutter? Try modern, elegant and surprising. These incredible remodels transcend all stereotypes about apartment and condo designs with unexpected materials like galvaniz...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 15, 2009, 2:01 pm
If the words “gargle” and “gargoyle” sound similar that’s no coincidence, but from their original function as decorative downspouts gargoyles have evolved into whimsicall...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 14, 2009, 1:00 pm
What do Bill Clinton, Bruce Lee, Charlemagne and Jack Kervorkian have in common? They’ve all been made into custom historical LEGO mini-figures by LEGO artist Jamie Spencer. Spencer, also known as M...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 13, 2009, 12:00 pm
Nicola L. is one of those artists who has simply been around forever. She’s known by only her first name and last initial, and she manages to bring unmistakable style to each and every thing she...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 12, 2009, 12:00 pm
Photo-realistic art is really on its own level in the art world. While some may ask what the point is when taking a picture is so much easier, to these artists the point is obvious: painstakingly crea...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 11, 2009, 11:00 am
Steampunk, folks seem to love it or to hate it. C’mon, you gotta admit the guns and guitars are cool. Rust, steam, copper tubing, clockwork gears, gauges, and brass-coated coolness appeal to the...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 10, 2009, 2:07 pm
For those who think that the glory-days of boat-building are over, think again – for there are modern-day Brunels, eager to build the next generation of ocean-faring superstructures. Here are 7 ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 9, 2009, 8:00 pm
Crime and punishment have been a necessary part of human society since we first began living in groups, and as long as laws have been in effect, there have been punishments to match. Whether torture w...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 9, 2009, 1:00 pm
Live penguins, dead alligators, sausage, doughnut glaze and fake blood: these are just a few examples of the bizarre cargo that has been spilled onto America’s highways during accidents involving tr...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 8, 2009, 12:00 pm
One pleasant spring day in 1955, an atomic bomb blasted an American city into oblivion. This is the story of Survival Town, a purpose-built collection of structures, buildings, even mannequins designe...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 7, 2009, 1:00 pm
What do stormtroopers do on their days off? Feed bread to gigantic pigeons, jam out on Guitar Hero, catch fish in a toilet and send vaguely insulting emails to Luke Skywalker, according to these photo...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 6, 2009, 12:00 pm
Remember going to birthday parties or the carnival as a child and getting your face painted? Face painting is fun and magical, and it lets us temporarily transform ourselves. You can be just about any...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 5, 2009, 12:00 pm
... fact, that we typically walk right by without giving it a second glance. But would you be able to ignore graffiti if it were done in a medium or a method you’d never seen before? These 11 ...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 4, 2009, 12:00 pm
Steampunk is the mating of technology and romance, breeding some of the most wickedly cool gadget’s and art you’ve ever seen. It’s cool and brass-clad sexy. With a post apocalyptic t...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 3, 2009, 12:00 pm
What could be more welcoming than a pot of tea in the morning? (Coffee drinkers, you are not allowed to answer that). From its humble beginnings in ancient China, the teapot has gone from obscurity to...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 2, 2009, 8:00 pm
What makes us human? With computer and robotics technology improving every day, we’ve already seen room-sized computers shrink to the size of a dime and cold metal has transformed into an increa...
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Kurt K. posted an article on WebUrbanist - Nov 2, 2009, 1:00 pm
Dolls have long held a singular ability to unintentionally scare the daylights out of children and adults alike, for reasons that aren’t always easy to voice. But some artists have learned to use th...
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