We Have Moved…

08Jan08

I have now properly kicked the tires, revved the engine, so now please follow me to my new self hosted location at douglaslevere.com/blog.

Thanks for visiting.

Douglas Levere

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Tags: blog, douglas levere, Moved

Love thy Neighbor

07Jan08

Photographer and author Steven Hirsh has photographed the homes of registered New York State sex offenders. I have had the pleasure of meeting Steve both a wonderful writer and photographer. This work is chilling, alarming, beautiful. I get that Quentin Tarantino feeling of beauty and disgust. Look at me, nooo look away. The series of 24 images are on Steven’s website.


Male • DOB December 24, 1958 • Forcibly touched a 14 year old female • Convicted June 8, 2006 • Sentenced to 1 year in jail • Recently moved to another town in the area

Male • DOB November 2, 1957 • Actual deviate sexual Intercourse once with a 10 year old female • Convicted January 9, 1987 • Sentenced to 100 months to 25 years in state prison

Male • DOB July 16, 1951 • Had actual deviate sexual intercourse with a 13 year old female. He used his hands, fist and a club during the attack • Convicted February 26, 1982 • Sentenced to 8 years to 16 years in state prison

Love Thy NeighborHomes of New York State Registered Sex OffendersFor anyone familiar with the work of Steven Hirsch, these pictures seem to be a radical departure from his style. At first glance.Technically flawless, quiet, without movement, uniform, they look to be documents of every day American life, with school lunches, baseball practice, bills and family. But not quite. They are too still, too ordinary. White aluminum siding, candy blue skies, trees with bark and branches in stark focus. A sign to “Support Our Troops”, tucked in near the fence on the ground, a school bus parked out in front. The windows are dull, hung with blinds or curtains, without a story.Ordinary.When our eyes drop down to the titles of the photos, we may recognize one or the other name of a sex offender from the headline news.Herein lies the link to other work of Steven Hirsch: the frame is slightly shifted, the twist of reality, eerie, unpredictable. Stirring up human ‘Angst’ and paranoia. The endless loneliness of strangers walking on New York streets is replicated in the faceless ordinariness of indistinguishable houses, some of which may have witnessed unspeakable horror and pain.The photos do not investigate, they document. It is up to the viewer to project their thoughts and ideas, to interpret.Steven Hirsch documents the surface. The image becomes a catalyst to the at times uncomfortable emotional experience the viewer brings to seeing.Our projections become superimposed on the visual image.Do we hate sex offenders, do we want them locked away forever, or do we empathize with a twisted soul who probably had a horribly abusive childhood himself.This is the true strength of Steven’s work: he makes us look at our world anew, with a fresh, uncomfortable eye.

Ina Becker
MD PhDAssistant
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Columbia University

{via i love photography}

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Tags: Architecture, crime, Culture, Love, photo, photography, Sex, Western New York

Philippe Starck “nothing to say”

06Jan08

— with no pretty slides behind him — Philippe Starck spends 17 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question “Why design?” Along the way he drops brilliant insights into the human condition; listen carefully for one perfectly crystallized motto for all of us, genius or not. Yet all this deep thought, he cheerfully admits, is to aid in the design of a better toothbrush. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:07.)

{via creativebits}

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Tags: advertising, Culture, design, industrial design, Philippe Starck, product, tooth brush, video

Lúcio Santos, Architect, Designer

06Jan08

Lúcio has worked for Zaha Hadid Architects on the Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion for the 2008 World Expo from schematic design to the production of construction drawings. He was in charge of rationalizing the 3d geometry and overall design development of the bridge, where he worked closely with Arup London and Spanish steel fabricators, developing the primary structure and substructure to produce a repetitive system of panelization for the curved façade. Lúcio has worked for Farjadi Architects & is currently at SOM NY.

His blog has some wonderful building and design projects, very inspiring.

{via Lúcio Santos Blog}

Filed under: Architecture, Culture, New York, designer, industrial design   |  1 Comment
Tags: 2008 World Expo, Architect, Farjadi Architects, Lúcio Santos, SOM NY, Zaha Hadid, Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion

Designer, Ettore Sottsass, Dead at 90

05Jan08

Photo J. Emilio Flores For The New York Times

Ettore Sottsass, an éminence grise of postmodern design who helped found the influential Memphis Group and was responsible for the familiar bright red plastic Olivetti typewriter, died Monday at his home in Milan. He was 90.

{via International Herald Tribune}

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Tags: Architecture, Art, Culture, designer, Ettore Sottsass, industrial design

The Nebula Nextdoor, Not in My Backyard

05Jan08

Photographer Eric Africa obtained this image of the Garnet Star Nebula (IC 1396) by spending several nights in his “light-polluted backyard.” Africa’s images of IC 1396, the Rosette Nebula and M 31 are proof that an Earthbound photographer can score some amazing pics. His telescope, the Takahashi FSQ-106, is commercially available for around $4,000. Click through for a gallery.

Text and link from {IO9}

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Tags: Eric Africa, Galaxy, Nebula, night, photo, photographer, photos, telescope

Inovative Business Cards

05Jan08

Get rid of the evidence you ever met the headhunter.

Blind date theme.

See many other creative, and out of the ordinary business cards that get noticed. And view the large group of card images here.

{via Burns Auto Parts, Blog. Professional support for professional photographers and other industry creatives.}

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Tags: advertising Burns Auto Parts, Art, business cards, Graphic Design, photographers, type

Duck and Cover, Classic

05Jan08

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Tags: cold war, Culture, Duck and Cover, Politics, video, war

Mom told me NOT to look at the Sun

04Jan08

That would have been bad advice for amateur astronomer Larry Alvarez. Check out both his videos and stills.

{via Metafilter}

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Tags: Art, photo, photography, photos, pictures, sun, video

Bill Viola Talks

04Jan08

Revealing interview with Bill Viola and several others at Youtube.com. Interview and video at designboom.com.

{via designboom}

Filed under: Art, Culture, Film, Graphic Design, cameras, designer, night, photo, photography, video   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Art, Bill Viola, Culture, Designboom, photography, pictures, video