For all you museum-going New Yorkers, the always glorious Metropolitan Museum of Art has an exhibit called “Playing with Pictures: the Art of Victorian Photocollage.” Previously, the invention of collage had vaguely been attributed to the likes of Braque and Picasso, but this exhibit suggests that collage had been practiced some 60 years earlier, in large part by aristocratic Victorian women.

These aren’t just the works of casual hobbyists, however. These women artists have cut, gouached, watercolored, and glued some seriously compelling works of art.

These photocollages appear to be a precursor to some of the pop surrealist trends seen in contemporary illustration today.

The NY Times has posted a review of the show, where non-New-Yorkers can view a slideshow of the exhibit.

These are no ordinary landscapes. New Jersey based artist and photographer Matthew Albanese carefully constructs extraordinary models out of ordinary materials like paprika, faux fur, and dry ice. These miniature scenes then become very real through the lens of his camera.

This volcano, entitled “Breaking Point,” was created with tile grout, cotton, and phosphorus ink. Its realistic glow was supplied with 6 60 watt light bulbs, according to the artist.

A process shot

The artist at work

Amazing!

via Drawn!

A good friend of mine recently told me about this website, www.photobooth.net which tells you of all the last remaining original photobooth locations all over the world. It’s a pretty simple concept, but a valuable one for what they refer to as a preserving the “vanishing American icon.” Simply type in your location, and track them down. The founders of the website have also taken it to the next level, and showcase really interesting interpretations of the photobooth photo by a variety of different artists.

Left: OC County Fair, Right: LA County Fair

They do have a nostalgic feel to them not just in the simple black and white photo but also in the experience of it being set carnivals or at bars. Even those Asian sticker picture machines don’t have the magic like photobooths do.

“Buzz” Aldrin-1969

Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, we never really take the time to realize the quiet and powerful beauty of the universe we live in. Nasa Images recently came out with a digital archive of their space images taken from the past 50 years and made it available for the the public to see, and share with others.

Kepler’s Supernova Remnant

“Mountains of Creation”– Where stars are created.

As an attempt to make space exploration and all of its esoteric mysteries a topic of real collaborative discussion here on Earth, Nasa created the “Guest Showcase” series, where various authorities in the fields of art, science, entertainment, business and academia curate exhibitions. The first was Pasadena Art Center’s Art Director, Stephen Nowlin who created a video titled, Things That Float. So sit back and relax with a glass of a fine red:

Funny thing is when scrolling down the list of names, all these potential ideas for awesome screen names or pseudonyms came to mind. These NASA guys really thought about the captions for some of these images! My favorite? The Sombrero Galaxy. teehee Don’t judge me, but I also tried looking up “alien” in the search box. A crap shoot, but secretly hoping…

The Sombrero Galaxy

All images from Nasa Images

The Boston Globe has an amazing section on their website titled, “The Big Picture.” Which serves as visual documentation of news stories all around the world in hi-res, BIG, images. Today, I looked at their recent album, “Haiti Six Days Later,” and was able to catch a glimpse into the state the country is in right now. Both visually stunning, and utterly tragic, these photos really capture humanity where traditional forms of mass media do not. And as much as I am tempted to post all of these pictures on the blog, believe me when I say that 50% of the impact you feel from these photos come from the size and hi-res quality they are in:

A mob of Haitians reach out as goods are thrown from a nearby shop in the downtown business district on January 17, 2010

A Haitian mass grave receives unclaimed, unidentified bodies in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince January 16, 2010

A man rents mobile phone chargers by the hour in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Survivors of Tuesday’s earthquake extend their arms as U.S. troops with the 82nd Airborne Division distribute water in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The troops gave out over 9,000 bottles of water and 2,000 meals Sunday.

A view of the badly damaged presidential palace - the center portion formerly 3 stories tall - after an earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on January 13, 2010.

All photos via the Big Picture.

Sad, sad