Travel Between The Pages

Tunnel Vision

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

The Cuyperspassage is a 110-meter tunnel that runs under Amsterdam Central Station offering a connection from the front to the rear of the building for cyclists and pedestrians . Graphic designer Irma Boom created a fantastic Delft blue time mural to decorate the originally bleak passageway based on the work of 18^th century Dutch painter Cornelis Bouwmeester. The paintings which inspired the mural can be seen at the Rijksmuseum. The painting depicts a seascape of a fishing fleet alongside the naval warship Rotterdam .

The mural , which is comprised of 46,000 tiles, was produced by the Royal Tichelaar Makkum ceramic company and took five years to complete. Each of the 130 by 130 mm Delft blue tiles was hand painted to reflect the 18^th century style. Photos courtesy of Jannes Linders

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum | 1 Comment

Silmarillion with an accent

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

I was searching for an illustrated copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Silmarillion for a client when I stumbled across this Russian language version with exceptional black and white drawings by artist Denis Gordeev. I don’t know anything about him, but he seems to be making a career of illustrating Russian editions of Tolkien classics.

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Writing | Tagged Illustration, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, the Hobbit | 1 Comment

Be Who You Are

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Writing | Tagged A.A. Milne, Dr. Seuss, JK Rowling, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein | 1 Comment

A Cracking Good Idea

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

This week, the London street artist known as Furia ACK painted a large mural of the P.T. Barnum of American presidential politics on a wall in the East End Shoreditch neighborhood. As soon as the portrait was completed, Furia, along with friends and bystanders, defiled the Donald with a barrage of fresh eggs . What a cracking good idea.

photo ©Klausbatb

Posted in Art, Europe, USA | Tagged Hackney, London, politics, Shoreditch, Street Art | Leave a comment

What Do All Cities Have In Common

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

Does it sometimes seem like every city that you visit is pretty much the same? The run-of-the-mill shops, the stereotypical coffee bars, the standard hipster district, and the ubiquitous food trucks can be found every where you go. Well, London-based architect and social commentator Charles “Chazz” Hutton sums up that ho-hum homogeneity in his hilarious “A Map of Every City”. Drawn on a post-it note, this little gem skillfully captures the 21st century Weltschmerz we’re all feeling. You follow his social commentary right here.

Posted in Art, Maps, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged Cities, hipsters, Ikea, Instagram | 1 Comment

Reading By The Numbers

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged George Orwell, George R. R. Martin, J. R. R. Tolkien, James Joyce, Victor Hugo | 1 Comment

Airbnb for Bikes

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

Copenhagen-based Donkey Republic has created what just may be a better alternative to city bike-sharing programs. AirDonkey users log-on with a simple app and reserve a bike within a chosen “hub” area. The app’s map guides the renter to a bike, which is secured with a Bluetooth-enabled lock. The renter simply unlocks the bike with their phone and rides away. The rentals cost about €10 per day or €42 weekly and just need to be returned to the hub area.

What’s different about AirDonkey is the partnership with private bike shops and individual bike owners. Instead of relying on city-owned, corporate sponsored bike-sharing programs with limited rental locations and a small number of bikes, users have access to bicycles throughout an urban area. The video below explains it all.

AirDonkey bikes are currently available in Copenhagen, but will be popping up by this summer in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, New Zealand, and in select U.S. cities.

Posted in apps, Europe, Public Transport, Tech, Tourism | Tagged bike sharing, bikes, Copenhagen, Vélib' | 1 Comment

Banksy vs France

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

After Banksy’s controversial but surprisingly successful Dismaland installation closed last year, it was announced that the buildings and sets that comprised the attraction would be dismantled and shipped to Calais, France to provide shelter at the refugee camp known as “The Jungle”. The materials have been used to create housing, a recreation area and community center in the camp that houses over 7000 people.

France is a new obsession for the anonymous street artist, who has unveiled a new piece near to the French Embassy on London. The work is a reinterpretation of the logo for the long running musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables. The sad image of a young girl carrying the tricolore flag emerging from a tear gas canister, is a response to the French authorities use of CS gas when attempting to clear part of the site. The wall art includes a QR code that links to footage showing the heavy -handed tactics of the French police.

In December, the elusive British street artist also painted a piece showing the late Steve Jobs as a refugee. The work has since been vandalized a number of times, apparently by refugees at the camp. Maybe they knew that Jobs was not a refugee or migrant, but US born, although his biological father was Syrian by birth.

Posted in Art, Europe | Tagged Banksy, Calais, France, London, Steve Jobs, Street Art | 1 Comment

Pop-up Libraries

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Brian D. Butler

Seoul South Korea’s Innovation Park seems like an unlikely location for a group of analog library pop-ups, but the tech start-up hub is now home to four colorful mini libraries. The mobile library project is the handiwork of ArchiWorkshop design group. The Pipe, Block, Mirage and Membrane libraries are open to all browsers and borrowers, but each offers a very limited collection.