Today, an enigmatic animated short by a group of artists and animators who call themselves Les Manèges (The Merry-go-rounds). The movie, Un Tour de Manège (A Turn on the Merry-go-round) is computer-animated, but the movement, colors and textures are astounding and somewhat unusual for the form. Be sure to check out a “making of” video that shows parts of the whole process. And if you like this one, check out Garuda, another short film by some of the same artists.

Un Tour de Manège (Vimeo)

Yes, you read the headline correctly. We’ve long been fans of New York-based graphic designer Nicholas Felton, so we thought we’d share some of his work with you. Each year Felton produces a personal annual report tracking information about the past year. The finished pieces (available in hard copy for purchase) display the minutiae of Felton’s life, but in such a beautiful way that you can’t help but dig in to every piece. Whether you care that Felton ate seven kinds of nuts or rode in 15 types of cars last year, his reports should provide lots of inspiration and show everyone what well-presented information can look like.

Nicholas Felton

We came across this great video today from Hold Your Horses! featuring classic paintings. We love the homemade quality of the different works of art, but also how they really evoke the brilliant pieces they are copying. Plus there’s a lot of great costume ideas in there!

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L’Ogre on Vimeo (via BuzzFeed)

We’ve never been to Japan. But we came across these images from the 1880s by Italian photographer Adolfo Farsari and we were amazed. Farsari was one of very few if any Europeans allowed access to the Japanese interior in the 1800s. He shot numerous photos (painstakingly hand-tinted) of rural life. The images are astounding and remind us of how completely different and foreign Japan must have been to Westerners when they first saw these pictures. The places and people seem mythical and fantastical…right out of a storybook of fantastic other-worldly kingdoms. Farsari’s images even inspired other artists and certainly exposed the rest of the world to the beauty of traditional Japan. Read more about Farsari and see more of his splendid images at Quazen, we’re sure you’ll be inspired.

Adolfo Farsari – The Man Who Shot Old Japan (via Neatorama)

We have a fascination with creepy old industrial places here at Creative & Sons. Something about their energy puts us on edge and gets our adrenaline pumping. So today we really hit the jackpot when we came across this great interactive panoramic photo of a control room from the Czech Republic. Talk about steampunk…it’s actually a hydroelectric power plant! And it’s even still in use. We love the bold simplicity of the black and white tile juxtaposed with the industrial machinery’s detail. Completely inspiring.

Take a look around.

(via BoingBoing)

We needed some color in our lives today! Jen Stark is an artist who turns practically two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional works of art. Her explosions of color and shape bursting from mundane stacks of paper is beautiful and intriguing. Take a look at her site for more amazing examples of her work. Above is Coriolis Effect, 12″ x 12″, hand-cut paper, 2007.

Jen Stark

Nuit Blanche by Spy Films is a beautiful short about a fleeting encounter in Paris. Rendered in 1940s-noir style, the movie is both beautiful and visually stunning with surprising slow-motion moments. We won’t ruin the story, just watch. (And if you’re more interested in the innovation than the illusion, view the making of.)

Nuit Blanche on Vimeo (via Neatorama)

Inspiration comes in all forms, non? We don’t remember how or when we first came across artist Terry Border’s Bent Objects, but we’re a big fan. Terry takes mundane objects and gives them new life with bits of wire and clever sets, styling, and stories. His images are beautifully photographed and typically (and sometimes twistedly) hilarious. (See above.) We love the humor and the detail in Bent Objects, but we really enjoy his re-imagining of everyday objects. Just like the zombie peanuts above, we’d love to see your brain, Terry.

Be sure to check out Terry’s video from his presentation at the 2008 Gel conference where he spoke about his beginnings as a commercial photographer and the evolution of Bent Objects. Oh, and he’d probably like it if you bought his book.

Bent Objects

For those of us in Texas, the above photo would be cause for alarm, or if we weren’t actually fleeing from destruction, a moment of awe for nature’s power. But actually, it’s even more amazing than that. Artist Matthew Albanese creates tiny detailed models from various materials. Through the use of various photographic techniques and lighting skill he transform these models into powerful and sometimes otherworldly images. The above image was made out of steel wool, cotton, ground parsley and moss.

Check out the link below for an amazingly lifelike volcano, a print of which is available for sale at the Daniel Cooney Gallery in New York.

Strange Worlds by Matthew Albanese (via Neatorama)

They say revenge is sweet…and that it is a dish best served cold…(all these food references this week!) But we never knew it could also be so hauntingly beautiful. This series of shorts by Dutch artists Lernert Engelberts and Sander Plug were made for a 2-hour documentary on revenge and we can’t take our eyes off them. The slo-motion anticipation (especially at the end!) makes the outcome even more gut-wrenchingly gorgeous. Be sure to check out some of their other work on Vimeo.

We Love Our Work
Lenert & Sander on Vimeo