from CC Search 

keyword =business meeting

I am often asked to recommend a website to go to for Copyright free images. The Electronic Library at Cardiff Met offers many links to image databases  that we recommend, some (marked with a black or a green copyright symbol)  like Bridgeman Education and Visual Arts Data Service offer copyright free images for educational use.

 I can also recommend a single page to which you can navigate on the internet which will allow you to search a whole selection of different image databases …not just images of art and design… made available under a  Creative Commons licence.

Creative Common licences all offer, as minimum, permission to copy so long as the image is marked clearly with details of who first created it (attribution). To learn more about Creative Commons licences (which are voluntarily  applied by creators to their works and can apply to text, images , music and all copyrighted materials) you should go here.
To search for all those Creative Commons licensed images  go here. Enter a keyword and select a source to search from the range offered ( various interesting websites ) results will bring back Creative Commons licenced images, moving images and sound.

In a world dominated by mass production, Beautiful City by Sofía Alvarado of Studio Fi stands as a tribute to the lost art of craftsmanship. This collection of 17 meticulously handcrafted pieces is a love letter to architectural detail and an ode to the artisans of yesteryear who brought character and soul to our built environment. Alvarado’s vision channels the beauty of artisanal work into something tangible, emphasizing process over utility. Each piece captures the essence of architectural history, reinterpreted through a modern lens to create something entirely new and unexpected. The collection is as much an architectural exploration as it is a design masterpiece.

Like a miniature, imaginary city, these one-of-a-kind creations draw inspiration from architectural elements that have been smoothed over in modern times. The collection is an eclectic mix of eras and forms, blending modern geometry with symbolic remnants of historical architectural styles. With each passing decade, the subtlety and complexity of these details have slowly disappeared, but this collection brings them back into the spotlight.

Handcrafted from metal and wood, each piece is painstakingly shaped using artisanal patterns, custom molds, and even homemade tools that achieve the intricate details that define them. This tailor-made process embraces slow design, where quality reigns over quantity. Because the identity of feeling has been known and proven to be linked to color, each edition is also characterized by specific tones.

In Beautiful City, Alvarado and Studio Fi invite us to pause, look closely, and appreciate the beauty in architectural details we often overlook. These pieces challenge us to rethink what we consider luxury, reminding us that true value also lies in artistry, not just function. It’s a reminder that the fading art of artisanal craftsmanship can be revived, one handcrafted piece at a time.

To learn more about Beautiful City by Sofía Alvarado of Studio Fi, visit sofialvarado.com.

Photos by Alfredo J. Martiz J.

As I tidy and throw away redundant materials from the Slide Library here at Cardiff Metropolitan University prior to a move to another campus it really helps when I know that what is going into the bin is not therefore lost to history. the old audio arts cassette has been binned but every volume from that magazine of sounds and sound art is available still! On the Tate website here.
Explore and listen to this innovative audio cassette-magazine featuring exclusive contributions from more than 900 individual artists
including Joseph
Beuys, Ian
Breakwell, Tracey
Emin and Andy Warhol. Audio Arts was  established by Bill Furlong in 1972 and includes soundworks, interviews and  coverage of exhibitions. You will find all 24 volumes from Audio Arts published between 1973 and 2006
including  the Audio Arts supplements which focus on particular themes and
individuals, from the state of British art in the late 1970s to a feature on
Damien Hirst in 2003.
Read more here

Sallyann Corn always knew that she would end up in a profession where she could utilize her imagination and translate ideas into forms. Growing up in a small town, however, meant that she had only heard of three potential tracks: art, architecture, and fashion. Her interest in clothing then led to an exploration of visual merchandising. But when she switched to an industrial design program in college there was an immediate click. “I knew that was exactly the path meant for me,” Corn says. “It felt so all-encompassing, and it has allowed me the freedom to pursue many mediums, scales, and project types.”

In 2008, Corn founded the Seattle-based studio fruitsuper with Joe Kent. Partners in business and life, the duo’s collaboration emphasizes playful simplicity, spanning a range of arenas from products to physical environments and curation.

Yet the pair not only caters to individual clients, they also welcome the public to join in and experience the energy for themselves. Their retail space and wine bar in Pioneer Square serves as a neighborhood hub, featuring fruitsuper’s signature items alongside pieces by other makers from across the United States. It is here that the team hosts rotating exhibitions, panel discussions, gatherings, and private events. These endeavors are part of fruitsuper’s ultimate mission – to celebrate a diverse and growing independent creative community.

With jobs and the day-to-day often intertwined, at times it has been challenging to maintain a healthy balance, especially when Corn and Kent had one shared space for all of their activities. Even with the separate studio they have today, the couple still finds easy ways to help make the switch from work mode to down time, like lighting candles or changing outfits.

There’s one element, however, that remains essential, and offers endless inspiration. “Travel is imperative to our practice, because it immediately makes us see the everyday in a new way,” Corn notes. “Objects as simple as toothpaste, traffic signals, and garbage cans surprise and delight us.”

Today, Sallyann Corn joins us for Friday Five!

1. Independent bookstores

To label us “Book Lovers” would be an understatement. We love to scour, hunt, and bury ourselves in local bookstores, no matter what city we’re in. We find that a small, independent bookstore with teetering stacks and narrow paths truly showcases the unique voice of each store owner and their city. We never shy from purchasing books while traveling, as we’ve found some of our absolute favorite literary treasures around the globe. A few of our favorites: Arcana Books (Los Angeles), Book/Shop (Oakland), Books & Things (Kyoto), Booklarder (Seattle), Casa Bosques (Mexico City), and Monograph Bookwerks (Portland).

2. Bicycle Rental

We’re less spandex-wearing and gear-focused and more the bells and baskets, stop-when-we-see-a-wine-bar type of bicycle riders. But we find nothing more exciting than renting bikes to explore new areas. During travel and at home, we love to find a neighborhood spot that provides bicycle rentals; as they’re almost always far better quality bikes than hourly rentals and often come with personalized route suggestions, bike adjustments and favorite neighborhood tips. Renting a bike for a day allows us to cover so much more ground and explore more than we ever could on foot. And always provides a much deeper connection to new neighborhoods than jumping in a car or on public transportation.

3. Saunas & Soaking

From a dry cedar sauna to natural hot springs, inside or outside, we love a soak/steam it out session. It’s such a meditative and restorative activity! We love that it essentially forces you to be nothing but present; no phones, books or other distractions can be involved. So your only focus is on your breathing, your sweat, your thoughts and your company. It’s incredibly invigorating!

4. Walking

For years I was foolish enough to not make time for walking. But now that I’m in the habit, I find myself less able to focus and be productive if I haven’t gone on at least two long walks each week. My commute from home to our studio or shop is around 3 miles and takes me about one hour. I’m not a headphone wearing person, so this hour of solitude is fantastic and now integral to my creative practice. I’ve found that I now arrive at work with a clear head and I’m much more prepared and ready to start my day. Between weather shifts and route options, it feels like endless choose-your-own adventure paths that lead me to new observations in places I’ve walked by dozens of times before. Two favorite walking spots that provide endless inspiration are the Myrtle Edwards Park/Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle and the Highline in NYC.

5. Small(er) Art+Design Festivals

For the past 3 years we’ve been fortunate to participate in DesignMarch in Reykjavik. We’ve fallen in love with smaller (by comparison to Milan, NYC, etc.) art and design festivals. The scale of these smaller/shorter festivals feels far more manageable and the work feels less dominated by large corporations and budgets and instead filled with young, independent, fresh work. We love seeing what can be created and presented with the constraints of smaller budgets and limitless enthusiasm.

 

Works by fruitsuper:

“The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime” Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary, August 1914

National Library of Wales Cymru 1914 archive

In a world where creativity knows no bounds, the food industry is increasingly becoming a canvas for artistic expression. As professionals from various fields shift careers and venture into the kitchen, we are witnessing a remarkable fusion of aesthetics and flavor elevating the food industry to an even more sophisticated art form. This shift is not only reflecting the change in consumer tastes but also highlighting the ever-growing desire for visually striking food experiences.

Amid this evolution, two extraordinary cake artists – Alison Dunlop of A.R.D Bakery and Amy Yip of Yip.Studio – are redefining what it means to bake a cake. Their journeys from design-centric backgrounds to the world of baking demonstrate how interdisciplinary skills can lead to innovation.

Based in Glasgow, A.R.D Bakery is the brainchild of Alison Dunlop, who specializes in bespoke cakes and chocolates with a unique, graphic style. After studying sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art, she moved into fashion accessories and completed her MA at the prestigious Royal College of Art. Dunlop spent a decade working in the industry, designing bags, shoes, and jewelry for many high-end brands. Then, while on maternity leave, she decided to experiment with integrating a heavily design-led aesthetic into her love for baking.

Drawing inspiration from diverse fields – architecture, textiles, and graphic design – Dunlop’s work captures a playful essence, making her cakes true sculptural pieces. Her cakes are visually striking, characterized by bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors that seem to pay homage to both Bauhaus and Memphis. Each creation is a feast for the eyes; the incorporation of hand-painted chocolate work and graphic patterns elevates her desserts beyond mere confections.

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Brooklyn, Amy Yip of Yip.Studio is carving her niche in the world of bespoke cakes with an artistic flair that echoes her background in textile and print design. Yip.Studio is known for its unique rock-shaped cakes and Asian-inspired flavors. Operating on a micro scale, each cake is a meticulous labor of love, design, and craft.

Yip’s cakes are distinguished by their unique color palettes and sculptural qualities, emulating various rock textures adorned with fruit and meticulously arranged flowers. This blend of aesthetic beauty and culinary skill allows her to transform desserts into ephemeral works of art. While her creations come at a premium price, the investment reflects the artistry and expertise that go into every custom piece.

The journeys of Alison Dunlop and Amy Yip exemplify how passion can reshape career paths and lead to unexpected fulfillment. Their unique artistry in cake baking serves as a testament to the broader trend of merging culinary and visual arts. As they continue to push the boundaries of cake design, Dunlop and Yip remind us to celebrate life’s moments in style.

For more information on A.R.D Bakery, visit ardbakery.com, and for more on Yip.Studio, visit yipstudionyc.com.

Scratch Platform is a brand new event in Cardiff and the showing of work on
Sunday August 31st is the first of what will be a regular event happening every
other month. The idea is to give Live Artists, Sound Artists, Cabaret
Performers, Poets and other artists who perform an opportunity to show their
work (whether it is ‘finished’, ‘polished’, in development or otherwise) to an
interested and supportive audience. The showing will start at 7pm and the venue
will be open until pub closing time!

Any work that is designed to be performed to an audience needs at some point to
be performed!

It will be free to take part in and free to watch. There are no ‘rules’ as such
other than that any piece shouldn’t last longer than ten minutes – in order to
give everyone a fair chance. There will be no competitive element and we want
to encourage a very open, pressure free and supportive environment.

It’s a lovely intimate venue and we are able to provide some technical
assistance- we have a PA, lighting rig and access to a projector and screen.
Will will also be filming the event to offer the performers a copy of the documentation
(this will be free, basically bring a memory stick or external drive and we
will copy the footage to it).

At the end of each event we will have a performance from an invited artist. On
August 31st this will be Foxy and Husk

We hope to draw artists and an audience from the artist communities in Cardiff
and further afield. There will be an opportunity for the performers to display
business cards, CV’s and other information that they might wish to share. We
will also offer feedback forms that members of the audience can fill in.

If you would like to show your work then please can you send me your technical
requirements (will you need music playback for example or a microphone(s)?) and
give me a very brief breakdown of what your 10 minute piece will be.

bring your friends!

Japan has long been revered for its deep-rooted dedication to craftsmanship, where the pursuit of perfection through repletion is not just a practice but a generational ambition. This idea is particularly familiar in Shizuoka City, a former castle town that became a vibrant hub for artisans around 400 years ago. Honoring this rich heritage, Japanese design studio UO created the bold sculpture Nakajimaya Crossing in the lobby of the century-old Nakajimaya Grand Hotel. This dramatic installation, accompanied by smaller objects and a façade design to greet visitors, visually celebrates four types of crafts, as well as innovative combinations of these techniques, all elegantly framed within elongated metal structures.

The installation features metal frames that stack and layer to form a central tower in the lobby, as well as four wall-mounted pieces behind the front desk. These frames create a series of intersecting shapes and half-moons that each highlight a different traditional craft. Where the frames intersect, unique blends of two crafts are displayed, illustrating an innovative fusion of artisanal techniques. For example, at the intersection of a frame showcasing fabric dyed with tea leaves (a technique called “ocha-zome”) and another featuring precisely arranged 2mm bamboo strips (“take-sensuji”), a three-dimensional textile emerges, intricately woven from both dyed fabric and bamboo.

This project not only showcases the merging of diverse crafts but also represents an extraordinary collaboration among four craftsmen, each typically working independently within their distinct disciplines. Facilitated by UO, these artisans were challenged to step beyond the boundaries of their individual skills, learning from one another to create new and inventive technical expressions.

Guided by Nakajimaya Crossing as the project’s centerpiece, the hotel plans to extend this concept beyond the sculpture, integrating these combined techniques into furniture, room keys, and other elements to craft a cohesive and immersive visual identity throughout the guest experience. As a permanent fixture at the Nakajimaya Grand Hotel, Nakajimaya Crossing not only redefines traditional craftsmanship but also symbolizes the hotel’s role as a gathering place for diverse skills.

To learn more about Nakajimaya Crossing by UO, visit uo-design.jp.

Photography by Keita Otsuka, featured photo by @hikimonojo639_official

A migrant agricultural worker in Marysville migrant camp, trying to work out his year’s earnings. Taken in California in 1935 by Dorothea Lange.

In the 1930’s The Farm Security Administration—Office of War Information (FSA-OWI) hired photographers to travel across America to document the poverty generated by the Great Depression, hoping to build support for New Deal programs being championed by President Roosevelt. Marvellous photographers like Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Arthur Rothstein were among the photographers who took part. In all 170,000 photographs were taken and lodged with  The Library of Congress. A link to these LC webpages for FSA is to be found in Cardiff Met Electronic Library>Databases A-Z>Farm Security Administration (Cardiff Met password required).

Now Yale University has launched Photogrammar, a   platform for organizing, searching, and viewing these  historic photographs.
The Photogrammar platform gives you the ability to search through the images by photographer and alsoprovides an interactive map twith  geographical information about 90,000 photographs in the collection.