People always ask me why I have such a freakin’ weird name. Well, I say, Dubendorfer gets off the boat, says “hello America,” and America says “hello Diffendaffer, sign here.” And that was that.
I feel very privileged to be returning to the land of my ancestors (seriously–look at the map). I have one final weekend to put my affairs in order here before I fly to Zurich to debut my Recursive Beads workshop in Liechtenstein.
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Some of these fantastic pieces are space pennants, which were created to travel aboard actual spacecraft as a sort of time capsule and proof of passage. Both Soviet and American spacecraft carried such pieces, which were designed to survive planetary impact, even to the extent that they were carried in protective shells with explosive charges designed to slow their velocity. Others among these pieces are medals, awarded by the respective governments. There may be a collectors edition piece in here too (I didn’t take notes on specific histories here–just gobbling up imagery across the web in search of inspiration).
Some of the pennants are fantastically crafted, with very convincing and beautiful bas reliefs. Others are somewhat more crude, but I love them just as much. There is something endearing about seeing the mark of the maker on a handcrafted medallion that was designed to refer to the highest ideals of our civilization as it was carried into outer space.
I’m starting to play around with some bronze clay, and I’m thinking that these pieces will make great source material for a few medallions. It would take me a long long time to approach the bas relief skills displayed on some of these pieces, so I’ll start with a flat relief approach, modifying as I develop my technique to try and add a bit more layered depth.
One last note on metal clay, then the pics. I just noticed as I write this post that Copper Clay is due to reach the market in just 4 days. You can pre-order now.
Humanity has been looking forward to the age of the jetpack for some years now. Sometimes the results are beautiful utopias that may yet materialize. More often are humourous and naive dreams. Paleo-Future Blog brings it all to you.
Still waiting for your flying car?
Ready to escape earth for your dream home in outer space?
I’ve been searching the universe for out of this world visual inspiration, and I’ve found a solid gold planet’s worth. Italian Fabio Femino’s web archive is f’ing full of futurism. From pulp novels to magazine cover’s to official space agency illustrations, he’s got it all–page after page after f’ing page.
It’s where fact meets theory meets art:
Where the sublime and frightening beauty of outer space meets action, adventure, and stylish spacesuits:
Only among lustrous tomes like this 1926 Amazing Stories will you find the likes of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Allen Poe all sharing a cover with ice skating space monkeys of Titan:
Did I mention skin tight space suits? More »
