Magic Beards and Paper Microcosms

Intricate Organic Forms Cut from Paper by Rogan Brown Seeking to emulate the "mixture of delicacy and durability that characterizes the natural world," artist Rogan Brown creates these unbelievably intricate sculptural forms from paper. Working without a preconceived direction or plan, Brown allows the work to evolve before him as he meticulously cuts and layers the paper. This evolutionary approach to the creative process seems to produce sculpture with an organic sensibility, reminiscent of plant life and microorganisms.   Magic Beard: A Stop-Motion Video of Amazing Beard Tricks by Ben Garvin Who says you can't teach old whiskers new tricks? In this ridiculous video of stop-motion beard tricks, photographer Ben Garvin's whiskers dance, reveal hidden objects, and exhibit a mind of their own.       The Dino Pet: A Living, Bioluminescent Pet File this one under "coolest night-light ever." Designed by Yonder Biology, the Dino Pet is actually a dinosaur-shaped habitat for a species of bioluminescent marine algae called Dinoflagellata. The algae photosynthesizes during the day and produces this blue-green glow at night. The pet lives for 1-3 months, though with the proper food the algae could keep on glowing indefinitely.   Speed Painting Timelapse by Lora Zombie Lora Zombie is a self-taught artist from Russia who mixes street art with grunge influences in her watercolor paintings. In this fascinating timelapse video you can watch as she creates a new piece called Coffee and Milk.   Polybius: Music Made with Old Technology At the bottom of a dry swimming pool musician Julian Corrie is joined by an orchestra of outmoded technology. A Commodore 64, several floppy drives, hard drives, and a SEGA Mega Drive take the place of drums and instruments in what Corrie calls "a nostalgic farewell to forgotten friends." The song contains an unexpected beauty while taking you back to a time when your modem had to scream at you before you could check your email.   Follow the Leaders: A Corporate City in Ruins by Isaac Cordal Artist Isaac Cordal spent three months constructing this corporate city in ruins for his installation Follow the Leaders. Over 2,000 concrete figures and decaying cement buildings inhabit this sprawling model of a collapsed society. The artist says the work was intended as a "metaphor for the collapse of capitalism and the side effects of progress."   From the Colossal Shop Something on your mind? Put it on somebody else's head! Or, at the very least, on one of these skulls made by Chicago-based designers Sarah and Joseph Belknap of iamhome. Sarah and Joseph hand rotocast a silicone mold with urethane plastic and then sandblast each skull with a chalkboard paint. Skulls are made to order and available in a variety of different colors.