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From Poland: The Mesmerizing Tones of GlassDuoAnna and Arik Szafrańiec used to perform with the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. She played violin; he played trumpet. Neither had ever heard of the glass harp before they decided to build one just for fun.
That was more than ten years ago. The glass harp fell out of fashion for about 100 years, but the couple, performing under the name GlassDuo, has brought it back to life with a repertoire ranging from arrangements of Dvořák and Chopin to Sting’s 1987 hit, Fragile. The two also perform original compositions. Read more about them, and watch the video (left) to hear their beautiful music. |
10 Mosaics Made with Unusual ObjectsMosaic art dates back thousands of years, with classical works made of stones, glass, or ceramic tiles. Many modern digital artists work with individual pixels on a computer, but others still use physical objects to create mosaic art, piece by piece.
See this terrific article that shows amazing mosaics made from the most unusual elements - like bacon, and guitar picks! |
Portrait by Scott Gundersen made of 3,621 wine corks
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Photo: Claire Felicie
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Dutch Marines' Faces Before, During, and After Serving in AfghanistanHow do life-changing experiences concretely shape the way we look? Does tragedy truly show up in our eyes and brow? These are questions that fascinate Claire Felicie, who photographed the faces of 20 Dutch Marines before, during, and after their tour of duty in Afghanistan. From first photo to last photo, only 12 months passed, but a great deal happened in these young men's lives.
See the photos here. |
A United Nations of MusicA new US federal program called OneBeat brings together musicians from all over the globe to write and record original music and perform it in an American tour. The group also leads engagement events with local youth, and develops strategies for using music to make a positive impact on local and global communities. The first tour finished a few months ago.
This New York Times article and slideshow showcase the recent gathering of 32 participating musicians, from 21 countries on 5 continents, in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. The musical synergy is electric and eclectic. “In one studio a Polish saxophonist was jamming with an Indonesian gamelan master,” writes Larry Rohter. “In another, two singer-songwriters — one from Kenya, the other from Denmark — were finishing a song they had written together...” |
Photo: David Manning for the New York Times
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Painting Portraits with BacteriaWhen microbiologist Zachary Copfer became disenchanted with working in a traditional lab, he turned his creative energy to photography. These combined interests resulted in some fascinating portraits that he created with - yes - bacteria.
See his portrait series of famous people, and find out how (and why) he created this medium, which he calls "bacteriography", here. |
My Favorite Artist Series: Albert Einstein. By Zachary Copfer.
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“For me, the two seemingly disparate fields of study serve the same purpose, a way to explore my connection to everything else around me.” |