Theo Jansen

I've been following the dutch artist/kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen for a while now. If you don't know his work, it's incredible. He lives on the windy beaches of the Netherlands and has created large self-propelling beach wondering "beasts." Jansen has developed an air pressure system that helps propel the creatures after the windy beach weather begins their movement.

For a quick view of some of his creatures in action, check out this ad where BMW has somehow taken his brilliance and credited towards their brand.



If you have a few more minutes, in this TED video Jansen explains the technology begin his creatures



I just received an email in my inbox that Jansen has created a take home version. HOW COOL! Have your own little Theo Jansen creature on your desk at work or at home for inspiration. You can order your own here.

City Museum

Last weekend while in St. Louis we visited one of the coolest museums I've ever been to. The City Museum is a 600,000 square foot maze of welded steel tunnels, slides and climbing structures housed in a former ten story international shoe company building. The founder and sculptor responsible for the creation of this St. Louis favorite is Bob Cassilly. Bob employs a crew of over 20 artisans who have constructed and are continually adding to the museum since its opening in 1997. Cassilly and his team include materials only found in St Louis, giving the city museum its urban roots. What a super cool time. It's open until 1:00am and we ran, climbed and slide our way through as much of the ten floors as we could in five hours and still didn't see it all. If in St. Louis, it's a must. I would totally travel there again just to try to find all the crevices I couldn't find before.

St Louis

Last weekend Dave and I traveled to St. Louis to visit some friends. I really love cities with history and St. Louis is not only the heart of the midwest, but the location where Thomas Jefferson officially opened westward expansion (Gateway Memorial Arch). We ate great food, saw turn of the century architecture and enjoyed some incredible weather with beautiful sunsets. Great trip!

Sweet Art

I ate at SweetArt over the weekend while we were visiting friends in St. Louis. What an incredible place! Great eats and great vibe from this place. All vegetarian and vegan brunch and lunch options including a huge selection of cupcakes and other delicious baked goods. The owner, Cbabi Bayoa, is a very talented painter and the walls of their restaurant are adorned with a selection of his work. His studio is in the back of the shop and when I was there it was open so I was able to peek in and see what he is currently working on. What a great shop if you are hungry in St. Louis!

Strange Vegetation

A site specific installation by Yevgeniya Kaganovich and Nathaniel Stern at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum in Milwaukee Wisconsin