Design
April 9, 2015

3D Laser Cut Wood Maps Show Hidden Underwater World

Robbie and Kara Johnson are the husband and wife team behind Below the Boat, a company that creates gorgeous wood maps that show the hidden world underneath the water. Using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (or NOAA) charts, they study the bathymetry (which is the underwater equivalent of topography) of lakes, rivers and oceans. Laser cutters are used to slice one sheet of birch plywood into 8 to 10 pieces.

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Drawing
April 8, 2015

Exquisite Photorealistic Portraits Created Using a Ballpoint Pen

Ghana-based artist Enam Bosokah captures incredible likenesses using only a blue ballpoint pen. The stunningly-realistic portrait drawings depict world leaders, writers, as well as children and couples. Bosokah's work showcases emotional scenes in elaborate detail, and it's as if we're looking at cyan-toned photographs rather than hand-crafted creations. The artist's drawings offer a glimpse into his process, and the exquisite images are produced with many layers of pen marks.

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Design
April 5, 2015

Remarkable 240-Year-Old Doll Automaton Can Write Actual Programmable Text

Designed and constructed in the 1770s, this extraordinary little doll is actually a self-operating machine that's believed by some to be one of the oldest examples of a computer. Known as “The Writer,” the automaton was built by Swiss-born watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz in order to entertain nobility and promote watches. In addition to “The Writer,” the ingenious craftsman created two other incredible doll automata with the help of his son Henri-Louis and Jean-Frdric Leschot.

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Art
April 4, 2015

Amazingly Intricate Laser-Cut Wood Relief Sculptures by Gabriel Schama

Oakland-based artist Gabriel Schama creates incredibly intricate, densely layered wood relief sculptures using thin, laser-cut pieces of mahogany plywood. He starts with a vector illustration that is sent to a laser cutter. Lasers carve designs into 1/8-inch sheets of plywood, which are then glued together and varnished. The result is a magnificently textured, mandala-like work of art comprised of ornate layers that twist, overlap, and intersect spectacularly.

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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.