Let's Get Technical

Nervous ropes, avian mansions, and organic glass. [View this email in your browser]( [Colossal: Art, Design, and Visual Culture]( Unbraided Rope Installations Branch Like Roots and Nervous Systems Artist Janaina Mello Landini continues to produce [dizzyingly complex installations]( and canvas-based sculptural works comprised of unbraided ropes that branch out like tree roots. The fractal-like artworks have developed over a period of six years as part of her “Ciclotrama” series, a word she coined that combines the root word “cycle” and the Latin word “trama” meaning warp, weaving, or cobweb. The Ornate Bird Palaces of Ottoman-Era Turkey An important element of Ottoman architecture in Turkey was the addition of birdhouses affixed to the outer walls of significant city structures, a safe space for regular avian guests to nest outside of mosques, inns, bridges, libraries, schools, and fountains. The birdhouses were not simple concrete structures, but rather [elaborate feats of miniature architecture]( that ranged from one-story homes to multiple-story bird mansions. Each was designed with a similar design aesthetic to the country’s larger buildings, simultaneously providing shelter to sparrows, swallows, and pigeons while preventing bird droppings from corroding the walls of the surrounding architecture. ADVERTISEMENT New Retro Technology LEGO Kits by Chris McVeigh Author, illustrator, photographer, and LEGO aficionado Chris McVeigh has added [new retro technology kits to his cache of minimalist models]( sets which include several decade-specific desktop set-ups and a boombox with multiple lego tapes. McVeigh even attempts to make each desk’s contents comply with the decade of its corresponding computer, like the version above which includes floppy disks which can be inserted into the computer, and a stack of computer manuals. Minimalism & Multitude: The Swarming Animated GIFs of Frédéric Vayssouze-Faure French animator Frédéric Vayssouze-Faure [explores complicated mathematical concepts through short animations]( he publishes on a Tumblr called Wavegrower. Sine functions, harmonic oscillations, and fractals are all core concepts behind his undulating and swarming animations. As with several other designers and artists working with animations of this nature, Vayssouze-Faure shares the source code behind some of his works to help others learn how they work. Segmented Glass Sculptures Inspired by Cell Division by Jiyong Lee Driven by an interest in the biological process of cell division, artist Jiyong Lee [fabricates translucent sculptural works of segmented glass components]( fused through coldworking techniques. Some pieces purposefully take the form of organic life with titles such as “White-orange Chromosome Segmentation” or “Geometric cell membrane segmentation” while others are decidedly more geometric in nature. Vintage Film Cameras Meticulously Built From Colored Paper by Lee Ji-Hee Korean artist Lee Ji-hee builds paper models of old film cameras, [recreating the details of their every mechanism through expertly folded paper](. Although his paper cameras match the original in every aspect of their form, the colors he selects for his designs are much different. Instead of matching the black, brown, and grey color schemes consistent with the 1952 Leica IIIf Red Dial or 1938 Super Kodak Six-20, Lee chooses flashy colors and patterns that give each device an updated aesthetic. From The Colossal Shop: An Apple A Day... Calling all Apple aficionados: Pop Chart Lab has mapped out the innovative brand's history, from the original Linda to the as-yet-realized HomePod, and 580+ devices in-between. Using classic Apple colorways as a backdrop, [The Insanely Great History of Apple]( charts the progress of tools that have changed the face of technology. Now in stock in [The Colossal Shop]( Copyright © 2017 Colossal, all rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list]( [MailChimp Email Marketing](