Panoramas of Stockholm

I've been having quite a nostalgic evening reminiscing over old photos, well not that old as most are from 2009/10, and I ended up up going through images of Stockholm, something that is quite frequent for both my flatmate and I. It definitely ranks highly in my list of favourite places and I'm not sure quite what it is about the city but it really conjures up such cosy and nostalgic feelings for both of us, despite experiencing the lowest temperatures we've suffered to date! I have in fact briefly blogged about Stockholm before but only included one photo, so here are some more.

Berzelli Park

Nybrokajen

Interior of Kaknästornet

Hötorget




View from Skansen

View from Djurgårdsbron

To finish with, a time lapse video of Nybrokajen (the area in the second photograph) found on vimeo which is not my property, unlike the photos above.



Nybrokajen, Stockholm 24 HRS in 2 minutes from Jann Lipka on Vimeo.


Photos by K.L.V.

Saklikent - River Restaurant

Years ago now, I went on holiday to Turkey and whilst on a day trip to Saklikent Gorge, the second largest in Europe, we stopped at one of the restaurants on the river for lunch. I didn't have a digital camera at the time, though I did have a disposable one but no idea where the photos are, so have none of my own images to show but I managed to find some pretty good ones online! Despite the insects buzzing around, relaxing on the wooden platforms suspended over the Xanthos river was a really enjoyable experience and the particular area we had was surrounded by vegetation which enhanced the lazy atmosphere even more so. I dont know if any of the below are the certain area I sat in but they are definitely similar!

Whilst finding images of Saklikent, I also came across some other Turkish river restaurants found in other parts of the area but they look equally fun and interesting, if not more so!

Feral Fashions

Black Celebration - Antonella Arismendi

Animalistic - Ben Lamberty 

Katsuya Kamo 

 

Snakes - Jean-Francois Carly

Animalistic Innovations

The Wing of the Fruit Fly

'Like butterflies, different species of fruit flies decorate their wings with a great diversity of spots and patterns. Digging deep into a single gene that produce pigmentation in the flies, a group led by UW-Madison biologist Sean Carroll has found the molecular switches that control where the pigmentation is deployed. The finding explains how common genes can be controlled to produce the seemingly endless array of patterns, decoration and body architecture found in animals.' - University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Bowerbird Installations

The male bowerbirds will build a bower, a "bachelor pad", to attract mates. Bowers differ, depending on the species. It is a circle of cleared earth and can consist of a small pile of twigs in the middle or of a more complex structure made of sticks and leaves, resembling a small hut. The male bowerbird will decorate the bower by placing brightly colored objects in and around it. He will spend hours arranging up to hundreds of objects which can include flowers, feathers, shells, stones, berries, coins, discarded plastic items, and pieces of glass. They are placed in a specific spot and if one was to be moved out of place while he is gone, he will put it back where it belonged when he returns. - Source

Caddisfly

Since the early 1980s, artist Hubert Duprat has been utilizing insects to construct some of his "sculptures." By removing caddis fly larvae from their natural habitat and providing them with precious materials, he prompts them to manufacture cases that resemble jewelers' creations. Information theory, as explained by biologists such as Jacques Monod and Henri Atlan, helps us understand what seems to be the insect's aesthetic behavior. The activities of the caddis worm, as manipulated by Hubert Duprat, are prompted by the "noise"---beads, pearls and 18-karat gold pieces---introduced by the artist into the insect's environment. Source.

Bird, Hand, Book

All images by Victor Schrager

Mouton Collet

Inspired by both animals and vegetation, in particular that of Belgium, Matthieu Mouton and Nicolas Collet have created beautifully designed jewellery that 'plays with singular and incisive aesthetics, connected to human emotions.' Though they have turned their hand to millinery for Lady GaGa, I think it's their menswear which is particularly interesting as the delicate yet intricate shapes of the insect world have been captured perfectly. That being said, I still think their antler designs are great and it can surely be said that this duo have channelled their animalistic influence brilliantly.

Country of the Month: Mongolia

I picked Mongolia as the first country to blog about because I find their traditional headwear absolutely amazing and incredibly inspirational! In particular, women of high social status wore such spectacular headdresses though I'm not sure of their official name, some sources call them 'toudai', 'ugalz', 'elephant ears' or 'mountain goat horn headdresses'. I'm not sure which is correct, if any, but I truly am captivated by their intricacy and the use of unusual shape which contrasts so greatly with the nomadic and simplistic ways of life that Mongolians are typically known for. Historically, there were over one hundred hats for various purposes, seasons, genders or ages and according to a Mongolian fashion blog 'It is advisable to keep one's hat on when entering 'gher', a traditional nomadic dwelling. The rules of etiquette forbade to greet or meet anybody bareheaded. In the olden days neither a man, nor woman was allowed to go into the street or enter someone's house without wearing a hat'. With a national dress originating in practicality and being built on by social meaning, Mongolia is one of the few countries where it is not uncommon to see traditional attire being worn to this day. Below are some photos from the early 1900s, including that of Dondogdulam - the last Queen mother of Mongolia and the full collection can be found here.

There are modern examples of these headdresses too, when I design my next headdress I'm certain this style won't be far from my mind!

Another aspect of Mongolian culture which has fascinated me for a considerable time is throat singing. Whilst  the majority of throat singing bands or solo artists I know originate in Tuva (part of Russia bordering Mongolia), such as Sainkho Namtchylak, Shu-De, and Huun-Huur-Tu, there are notable Mongolian bands too and infact Tuvan styles are extremely similar anyway. The band named Egschiglen or 'Beautiful Melody' stand out for me when it comes to Mongolian throat singing,  that is probably down to the presence of a female vocalist who I feel balances out the deeper tones of the men. I've posted two videos below accompanied by an image of the band and another throat singing example. Though throat singing in any form is an acquired taste, it sounds so transcedent, eerie and always otherworldy to me yet it's history is purely derived from this world. An article on the Guardian describes it best as 'physically connecting the singers to the spirituality of the mountainside. The singing styles were supposedly modelled on the harmonic resonances herders would find naturally occurring around valleys or waterfalls, with some vocal styles configured to mimic the sounds of animals, wind or water.' 

'Throat singers sound as though they have a whole orchestra of instruments, that could never be invented by human hands, caged inside their bodies. It is ancient soul music.'

California Soul

Whilst visiting my Nan's house yesterday, I found a huge collection of beautiful black and white or sepia photos taken from her childhood up until I was a child myself. There were some great family photos of course but also I found that my Nan had a pen pal in California who sent her several photos of the area where she lived and such places included the Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert, the local gold mine, Lancaster highschool and the hospital where the pen pal's Mother worked. I don't know the dates they were taken but as you can see, they look rather old!