Design

March 10, 2016

Vintage-Inspired Wooden Drawing Machine Produces Complex Designs with the Turn of a Crank

Long before there were plastic drawing toys like the Spirograph, there were wooden drawing machines. Dating back as far as the 1880s, these mechanical devices produced intricate geometric images using a pendulum or working along a curve, known as a cycloid. While both approaches created complex drawings, the old cycloid machines were limited in how they could be tweaked and hampered their design possibilities.

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February 24, 2016

19 Artists Creatively Pushing the Boundaries of Embroidery

The art of embroidery has existed throughout time, dating as far back as 5th century BC. Despite its centuries-old origins, this timeless craft has continually been reenergized by visionary artists who push the boundaries of its meaning and limits. From hyperrealistic embroidered portraits to cross stitching on cars, creatives have taken the field to new and exciting places with their artwork.

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February 15, 2016

Artist Rides Bike Around City to Create Elaborate Doodles with GPS Routes

Before dawn on January 1, 2015, artist Stephen Lund snuck out of his house and “painted” a New Year's message on the streets of Victoria, Canada. This painting was not your typical artistic endeavor–instead of a brush on canvas, Lund rode his bike around town and tracked his journey using a GPS. The combination of a very specific cycling path and GPS software created an unconventional work of art.

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February 8, 2016

Kids’ Creative Drawings Become Real Inventions We Can Use

Designer Dominic Wilcox asked 450 kids to draw the most imaginative inventions they could think of and later, surprisingly, made their dreams a reality. In collaboration with The Cultural Spring, Wilcox created the Inventors! project, which aims to harness and display the power of childhood creativity. “Instead of just putting the drawings on the fridge door as most adults do with a child's drawings, why not push the ideas as far as they can go?

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.