Mundi the Elephant Is Rescued After 35 Years in Captivity and Moved to a Sanctuary

An elephant named Mundi is finally getting her happy ending. After spending most of her life in isolation and questionable conditions, a group effort between Elephant Aid International and World Animal Protection has rescued the pachyderm and gotten her a brand new home where she'll happily be surrounded by friends for the rest of her days.

Described as a calm and curious creature, Mundi is a gentle giant standing at 8 feet tall and weighing 8,000 pounds. Born in Zimbabwe, this African savannah elephant was left orphaned by a government-organized mass culling in the 80s. She was then brought to the United States as part of a group of 63 young elephants in a rescue mission orchestrated by entrepreneur Arthur Jones, who housed them at his Jumbo Lair estate in Ocala, Florida, for two years. During that time, an altercation with another elephant left her with one blind eye and a permanently damaged tusk.

Sadly, the young herd was then broken up, and the creatures ended up being sold to zoos, circuses, and private individuals. Mundi was sold and relocated to the Mayaguez Zoo in Puerto Rico. Since her arrival in 1988, she has lived in an area of 15,000 square feet with access to an enclosed shelter. She spent 35 years living alone, as there were no other elephants on the premises.

In 2017, the governor of Puerto Rico ordered that Mundi and 10 felines were transported out of the zoo following concerns for their well-being amid an economic crisis. Elephant Aid International started making plans to welcome her at their Elephant Refuge North America in Attapulgus, Georgia. Although a contract was signed, the ousting of the governor in 2019 led to the project being canceled.

Still concerned for Mundi's wellbeing, Elephant Aid International pushed for the rescue of the elephant. The organization received no response for a few years. While the zoo had been closed for years after losing its USDA license due to a serious of violationswhich includes providing subpar care for their animalsthe creatures remained sequestered on the premises. Final...

News From Home Plovdiv is a 2022 project by artist duo Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy. Inspired by their dedication to empowering communities to share their stories, the duo undertook a six week artist residency in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, transforming over 500 photos of the city into a large-scale photomontage. This photomontage, installed on a 54 metre wall in the citys heart, encapsulates Plovdivs unique, multi-layered identity, creating a vivid reflection of their co-creation with the community during the artists stay.

The aim of this work is to explore the subtle yet meaningful stories of Plovdiv from the past, present and imagined future, drawing inspiration from both the community and...

Street artists David de la Mano and Pablo S. Herrero worked on a new project  involving a mural and graffiti workshop related specifically to stonecutter marks. It was held last May 13 in Villamayor, a municipality historically known for its quarries and for being the one used historically in the monumental Salamanca.

The graffiti workshop consisted of taking stonemason marks as the main axis, and around these, reproductions, interpretations and free marks were created.
Attendees created their own stencils, painted freehand and combined techniques. About 40 to 50 people participated, mostly children from 5 to 14 years old.
...

Sometimes in life, not giving AF is the best way to handle things and approach all situations.

Because theres no doubt that most of us stress out WAY more than we should and worry about things that we dont have any control over.

So how do you get to the point of not giving AF?

Check out what AskReddit users had to say about this.

Good advice.

When you apply the definition of insanity to a situation you have with a person you try over and over and over again and they dont change, nothing changes you finally learn to not care.

Dont waste your energy.

Ive had several people ask me how Im so chill essentially all the time.

The answer is I simply dont waste mental and emotional energy on worthless things or things I can do nothing about.

Seems like a foreign concept to some people. I care a LOT about the things I do care about, I would be miserable if I also attempted to care about every single other thing.

Take it as it comes.

I just read a passage in a book about cognitive behavior therapy, and chasing constant happiness creates the total opposite effect.

Its easier and better to process any emotions as they come and dont fight them whether positive or negative.

No stress.

Someone once told me stress is non existent, people can buy into it if they want. I refuse to.

I dont exactly agree with him, but I think about it often, and he was a VERY relaxed dude.

All part of the process.

As you get older, you have less and less f**ks to give.

You even get less back from ot...

Illustrator Shares Her Top Drawing Tips (And Two Things to Avoid)

Drawing is a practice thats all your own, but its always valuable to get tips from the pros. After all, theyve gone through hours upon hours of putting pencil to paper and have learned helpful tips and tricks along the way. Illustrator and My Modern Met contributing writer Margherita Cole is a prolific drawer who has shared with us her top suggestions as well as a couple of pitfalls youll want to avoid.

Cole's advice is great, whether youre just beginning your drawing journey or have been sketching for a while. Wherever possible, Cole tells My Modern Met, try to break down your subjects into simple shapes and create a good foundation. This will help you avoid the common mistake of adding too many details to your drawing too quickly.

She has another useful tip if there's something nagging you about your drawing, but you can't quite put your finger on it. If something looks off in your drawing but you cant tell what it is, she explains, one way to figure it out is to cover it up, imagine what the drawing should look like, uncover it, and see if what you drew matches up to your imagination.

Variety in subject matter is also vital. Practice is important, but make sure you practice drawing different subjects as well. Keeping a sketchbook can help you keep track of your progress. And dont expect too much of yourself while you learn or try a new technique. Avoid setting unrealistic expectations, Cole advises. This is an easy way to get frustrated. Making goals is good, but keep in mind that learning how to draw takes time, so you should always be patient with yourself.

Cole shares more of her expertise in her online drawing course on My Modern Met Academy. Titled Drawing 101: Learn the Building Blocks of Sketching, she teaches the fundamentals of sketching, allowing you to gain the confidence to draw any...

Photo Credit: TikTok

If you need a HUGE smile today, youre in luck in a major way.

Because this is one of the most wholesome stories that weve come across in a long, long time.

Youve probably seen day laborers in parking lots waiting to be hired for work for the day. And a guy named Jesus decided to give a group of workers a great day at the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland!

Photo Credit: TikTok

He asked the men if the...

Given the size and demographic profile of J. R. R. Tolkiens fan base today, its easy to forget that he originally wrote The Hobbit for children. For generations of young readers, that novel has stood as the gateway into Tolkiens much more complex and ambitious Lord of the Rings trilogy also written for children, at least according to the new poll of 177 experts around the world conducted by the BBC to determine the 100 greatest childrens books of all time. In its results, The Lord of the Rings comes in around the middle, but The Hobbit takes fifth place, behind only the near-universally beloved titles The Little Prince, Pippi Longstocking, Alices Adventures in Wonderland, and at number one Where the Wild Things Are.

Any reader who was a child in the past sixty years will know all of those books; any reader alive will know most of them. Throughout this...

Sometimes you just never know

Even with the most beloved celebrities, sometimes it comes out that they are anything but good and decent people.

And some of them turn out to be total creeps.

Check out who AskReddit users put on blast!

A real creep.

Bill Cosby.

That man broke my heart. I say, unironically, he had done as much for racial relations in the United States as anyone ever with his show and public persona. He showed my generation a vision of a black family with all the same normal family issues that my or any other white family had in a deeply human and loving context, while never clubbing us over the head with the message that at the core we are all the same, because it was just so obviously the case within the context of that show.

And not only that. Young me wanted to be a standup. And his special Himself aired in heavy rotation on cable back then, and was hilarious. What made it stand out especially to me was Himself was almost completely without vulgarity or blue material, unlike the two other prominent black comedians (whose specials I had secretly stayed up late to watch) Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. I thought they were very funny too, but thought Cosby was better because he could be just as good or better without all the bad words.

He was the guy who did Picture Pages and Fat Albert, which I loved. I felt so bad for him when his son was murdered, and sent a letter to him expressing that sentiment. I even admired his willingness later to stand up to what he saw as self destructive behavior and culture within his own community, even if I didnt agree with what he had to say.

And then the rug got pulled out from under me. He was a phony, a s** fiend, a liar, and a hypocrite, who had re...

Teach your children well sang Crosby, Stills and Nash once upon a long ago, and that adage could be paraphrased as make sure your students dont grow up learning substandard pop songs. Give them a real education. An enterprising elementary school teacher in Mombach, a district of the Rhineland city of Mainz, did so in 2015, dressing up his students from Lemmchen Elementary in their own handmade robot outfits and teaching them to sing the classic 1978 Kraftwerk hit The Robots (or Roboter if you own the German version, which you can hear below).

Photo Credit: TikTok

Folks, its time to talk about MEAT.

Yes, its not something that gets discussed too often, but a man took to TikTok because he felt particularly passionate about marinated meat that you can buy at grocery stores.

The man said that he saw a message from someone who claimed they worked as a butcher that claimed a lot of big-name grocery stores marinate and package meat to cover up bad smells and other issues with meat that is obviously not fit to eat.

...

Ive seen a lot of AskReddit articles in my life, but I cant say Ive ever seen anything quite like this one before

And that means that its gonna be a whole lot of fun!

Heres how it works: your Reddit username is what awaits you when you wake up the next dayso how bad will it be fort you?

Lets get started!

Look out below!

ButAtLeastImGodzilla:

Assuming I magically dont crush my apartme

nt or any of my neighbors? Probably not the greatest day. I dont want to deal with reporters or be on the news without preparation, I want to go look for cool bones in the ocean.

Nailed it!

ElmerTheAmish:

At 4:30 in the morning, Im milkin cows

Jebediah feeds the chickens and Jacob plows.

And Ill be bored to tears; we havent even paid a phone bill in 300 years.

No phone, no lights, no motorcar.

Not a single luxury.

Like Robinson Crusoe.

Its as primitive as can be.

This is weird

97ratsinatrenchcoat:

One very strange looking gentleman in a trenchcoat.

Just like Nostradamus.

Prophecy_Foretold:

I knew this day would come.

Please be my friend.

mostly-Coffee:

I gotcha for a refill, mate.

Doesnt sound like fun for you.

kickmyd**k2times:

I h**e this game.

Very well

ThunderousFlatulence:

It sounds like I wont need to set an alarm tomorrow morning

...

Photo Credit: TikTok

Its pretty discouraging to see how much people steal these days

Or maybe its always been that way but we know more about it now because everyone has a camera and things are easier to document.

Either way, its a bummer.

And a Target employee shared a video on TikTok where she showed viewers the extent of the theft that goes on in her stores beauty section. And she showed how thieves take items out of their packaging to avoid detection.

Photo Credit:...

Doc Brown and Marty McFlywe want you to pay close attention and compare notes with the person who is responsible for this incredibly strange and thought-provoking video that someone known as Eno Alaric posted on TikTok.

The person, who claims to be from the year 2671, said that an alien attack would soon hit Earth and he added, Yes, I am a real time traveler, the world will soon end.

They also said that 8,000 people would be chosen to save humanity.

Photo Credit: TikTok

The video continued, A very hostile alien species is coming to take back Earth, we will not win.

And then, Another alien, whose world was destroyed by the hostiles, will save some of us.

...

Real Christmas trees might not totally be a thing of the past, but I would guess fewer and fewer people are spending a bunch of money on something theyre going to toss after a month of enjoyment.

If youre still holding out, touting the wonderful smell and the experience, heres something to look out for the next time youre making a selection.

If you saw something like this while you were stringing your lights or hanging your ornaments, you might dismiss it as an odd pine cone.

If you took a closer look, youd probably decide its not a pine cone, but you also probably wouldnt worry too much about it even though you probably should.

Because what it is, is an egg sac full of praying mantises.

Depending on which species, there could be only a few babies waiting to hatch to a few hundred.

As with most facets of art in New York City, there are so many art bookstores and theres so little time to visit them all. With bookstores linked to galleries, galleries linked to bookstores, and everything in between, a refreshingly wide range of configurations turn the art book form into an invitation to fall down informational rabbit holes and seek out the unknown. I set out in search of a starting point to delve into this lattice of shops and found myself enchanted by the knowledge and curiosity of the citys art bookstore...

As the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna navigates the aftermath of mass displacement and destruction from record-breaking storm flooding, state museums across the nation will raise ticket prices to help fund recovery efforts. Last week, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved a 2 billion (~$2.15 billion) aid package funded in part by a 1 (~$1.07) museum admission price hike from June 15 to September 15.

The move comes amid worrying news of the impact of floods on Italys cultural heritage. In recent weeks, books and manuscripts dating back hundreds of years from the Trisi Library in Lugo and other devastated sites have been salvaged from the mess and transferred to Cesena to be frozen...

LOS ANGELES As a teenager, Peter Krasnow fled the pogroms in Ukraine to study painting in America. His artwork responded to the times and his environment, from realistic depictions of his glum Jewish immigrant community to forlorn portraits in a post-impressionist style. But after Krasnow relocated to Los Angeles, his work transformed into bright, energetic hard-edge celebrations of life. This is the era celebrated in the exhibition, Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Krasnow moved to Atwater Village in 1922 and quickly embraced the psychedelic nature of the California desert. His work long predates the Memphis movement, but utilizes many of the same colors and tones, making his art extremely on trend with our current Memphis revival movement. The driving force of Krasnows technicolor style, which he practiced unt...

New Keith Haring Exhibit at The Broad Is a Vibrant Showcase of the Artists Iconic Work

An expansive exhibition at The Broad celebrates the iconic art of Keith Haring through over 120 pieces of art and archival materials. It's the first museum exhibition in Los Angeles to explore Haring's groundbreaking art and his impact on the contemporary art world. Fittingly, the exhibit is running at a time when Haring's close friend Jean-Michel Basquiat is also getting the spotlight next door in his own show at the Grand LA.

Titled Art is for Everybody, the exhibition runs through October 8, 2023, and is an incredible way to see the wide scope of Haring's work. Haring, who moved to New York City to study art in 1978, saw art as something that should engage the public. And from his earliest subway drawings, he was keen to use his talent to make his art accessible. Working as part of New York's counterculture scene, Haring found himself in the mix with creatives like Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Andy Warhol.

Eli and Edythe Broad were early collectors of Haring's work, purchasing their first pieces in 1982. This early support makes The Broad a perfect fit for the exhibition. Major works held in the Broad collection, such as Untitled, 1984, and Red Room, 1988, are on view. In addition, the exhibition is filled out by key loans from many institutional and private collections, including art, ephemera, and documentation provided by the Keith Haring Foundation in New York, established by the artist in 1989.

The two climate activists who smeared paint on Edgar Degass Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (18781881) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, earlier this spring have been indicted. Timothy Martin and Joanna Smith were taken into custody Friday, May 27 and charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to an exhibit in the National Gallery. The federal charges carry penalties of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in prison.

The 53-year-old activists turned themselves in Friday morning when the indictment was unsealed by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Around 11am on April 27, Martin and Smith entered the National Gallery with water bottles filled with paint and covered the plexiglass case and wooden pedestal of Degass ...

The art-science that captured the wonder of some of the most brilliant productions of Nature.

While the French seamstress turned scientist Jeanne Villepreux-Power was solving the ancient mystery of the argonaut, her compatriot Jean Baptiste Vrany (18001865) a pharmacist turned naturalist and founder of Nices Natural History Museum set out to illuminate the wonders of cephalopods in descriptions and depictions of unprecedented beauty and fidelity to reality. Half a century before the stunningly illustrated Cephalopod Atlas brought the life-forms of the deep to the human imagination, Vrany published Mediterranean Mollusks: Observations, Descriptions, Figures, and Chromolithographs from Life a consummately illustrated catalogue of creatures entirely alien to the eras lay imagination, suddenly and vividly alive in full color.

This Ingenious Mini French Press Brews Coffee Right in Your Cup

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There's nothing like the smell of fresh coffee in the morning. But to get to that, you must either get the coffee machine going, sort out your favorite artisanal brewing method, or leave your house to grab your a cup of joe from a coffee shop. Hoping to make the process of brewing a coffee much easier, California-based company Advencher came up with a clever device called FinalPress. It is designed to save you a lot of effortnot to mention moneyon daily coffee consumption.

We needed a brewer to make delicious coffee with minimal time and effort, but we couldn't find anything on the market, state the creators of FinalPress. They were all too bulky, hard to clean, and made of plastic parts, so we decided to create the one! Following two years of development, FinalPress made it to Kickstarter, where it sold over 10,000 units on its original run. FinalPress is a simple, zero-waste, portable, and multi-functional coffee & tea maker that's great for home, outdoors, camping, and traveling, the company explains .

Although it's a gadget the size of your hand, the FinalPress promises to give you absolute control over the strength your drinks. Whether it's your timeless cup of coffee, a flavorful homemade cold brew, or your favorite tea, this versatile device brews it right in your favorite mug. Not only does this reduce waste, but it also spares you from cleaning any additional utensils or devices. Made of stainless steel, the company promises that the FinalPress can last a lifetime. The FinalPress is also eco-friendly, as no paper filters or coffee capsules are needed.

How does the FinalPress work? It follows the principles of one of the most beloved tools by coffee loversthe French press. All it takes to get your beverage r...

A rare exhibition of Chinese painting in Manhattan is drawing acclaim for its extraordinary beauty and important masterpieces. The landmark show Flowers on a River: The Art of Chinese Flower-and-Bird Painting, 1368-1911, Masterworks from Tianjin Museum and Changzhou Museum is on view at China Institute Gallery renowned for its world-class thematic exhibitions of exceptional Chinese treasures. The exhibition is the largest survey of its kind to be seen outside of China and the first in the US.

On view through June 25, Flowers on a River features more than 100 masterworks by 59 artists, spanning 500 years across the Ming and Qing dynasties. The groundbreaking exhibition highlights the academic, literary, and individual styles of each artist. The Chinese concept of humanity in harmony with nature is examined as is the use of a special language of coded imagery to communicate meaning, which is central to Chinese art and culture. Flower-and-bird painting is one of three major genres of Chinese painting, alongside landscape and figure painting.

All images Lisa Stevens, shared with permission

Ridges, florets, and spirals comprise the vibrant terrains of Bristol-based artist Lisa Stevens marine-inspired ceramics. On the surface of high-fired porcelain clay, she builds vivid hues using underglazes and stoneware glazes along with melted glass to achieve jewel-like details. During the past few years, she has expanded her coral-inspired designs, incorporating a wide range of shapes and emphasizing a spectrum of bright hues. My work has become more extreme with more fans, spikes, and branches, and now many pieces can be displayed on the wall, she tells Colossal.

Stevens enjoys working in series, including participating in The 100 Day Project, first with a series of skull-shaped tiles sprouting coral tentacles and currently making progress on a group of teardrop-shaped pieces. Using a range of tools, she spends a lot of time experimenting and learning new ways to employ them, so no two are the same. I stick to one basic shape but make each one completely different, she says. I will never find an end to the possibilities and wont get bored of looking for something new.

If youre in the U.K., you can see Stevens pieces on display at...

Beyonc Pays Tribute to Tina Turner With a Powerful Performance

Photos: kohanova1991/Depositphotos (left), ChinaImages/Depositphotos (right)

Tina Turner left an indelible mark in the world of music. From overcoming severe obstacles on her way to the top to opening doors for aspiring female musicians and artists of color, her legacy will live on for ages. Recently, Turner sadly passed away at age 83, after battling a long illness. The announcement prompted luminaries to pay their respects and share what made Turner such a special figure. Among all the tributes, the words of Beyonc, one of the biggest stars in the world, were particularly poignant.

Shortly after the news broke of Turner's passing, Beyonc took to her official website to post a moving message. My beloved queen. I love you endlessly, the singer wrote. Im so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way. You are strength and resilience. You are the epitome of power and passion. We are all so fortunate to have witnessed your kindness and beautiful spirit that will forever remain. Thank you for all you have done.

The singer also shared a picture of them bowing toward each other following a performance at the 2008 Grammys, where they sang Proud Mary as a duet. Beyonc has long spoken about her admiration for Turner, and even performed a tribute to her in celebration of the Kennedy Center Honor she received in 2005. I never in my life saw a woman so powerful, so fearless, so fabulousand those legs! the Crazy in Love singer said back t...

AI Reimagines Gorgeous Architecture as Fabulous Footwear and Streetwear

Anonymous artist Str4ngeThing harnesses the power of AI technology to create surreal fashion inspired by the Renaissance. His collection of Renaissance architecture footwear is an incredible showcase for the design results that can be achieved by using image generators. The towering high heels, sturdy boots, and loafers all incorporate elements of Renaissance architecture; but, at the same time, they look good enough to wear.

This footwear collection is a testament to the power of design and innovation using AI, writes the artist. Every piece in the collection represents a fusion of classical design elements and contemporary style, resulting in a truly unique and artistic expression.

This collection is also a true testament to the importance of creativity and innovation in the world of fashion. It demonstrates that with a forward-thinking approach and a commitment to excellence, it is possible to create something truly exceptional.

Str4ngeThing is drawn to the Renaissance because they see our current technological advancements as a modern Renaissance. Why not marry what is already known to those who admire the arts of the long Renaissance period to include imagery and tech we see today?

This incredible footwear is filled with the columns, niches, and decorative patterns that immediately transport us back in time. But at the same time, they are astounding examples of how AI can be used in creative thinking and inspiring designers to push their visions forward.

Str4ngerThing continues to challenge themself creatively by extending this Renaissance series to include variations of rings,...

Photo Credit: TikTok

A lot of us could probably cut down on how much we order food delivery, but it seems like things might have gone a little bit too far with this woman.

She posted a video on TikTok where she said she was spending about $1,000 per month on food deliveryyes, you read that right.

Thats pretty outrageous!

And she said that she decided to start eating at home but wanted to make her life a little more convenient when it came to dining in at homeso she filled her house with plastic utensils and plastic food containers.

Photo Credit: TikTok...

Seinjoki Library, Seinajoki, Finland. All images courtesy of Gestalten, shared with permission

In the U.S., libraries have increasingly been attacked by the far right as part of a movement to impose unjust book bans and protest diversity and inclusion efforts. Although the public institutions are sites of contention at the moment, theyve historically functioned as beacons of knowledge and democracy, spaces that are free and open to all.

A recent book published by Gestalten returns to the fundamental beauty and communal nature of libraries, traveling the globe to visit some of the most alluring places. Written by Marianne Julia Strauss, Temples of Books: Magnificent Libraries Around the World celebrates the stunning architecture and quietude associated with wandering the stacks. From the exuberant Manueline style of Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura in Rio de Janeiro to the modern concrete-and-wood structure of Phillips Exeter Academy Library, the volume encompasses a vast range of aesthetics and eras across more than 40 physical and virtual locations on six continents.

Positioning these spaces as intellectual havens, Temples of Books highlights their wide array of offerings, including botanic gardens, archival repositories, and of course, r...

Astrophotographer Spends Months Planning Impossible Blended Panorama of the Milky Way Arches

After 30 hours of planning, travel, shooting, and post-production, acclaimed astrophotographer Mihail Minkov came away with the photo he was looking for. The stunning 360-degree panorama, The Eyes of the Universe, shows two double Milky Way arches that are only possible to photograph during a specific time of year. In Minkov's photo, we can see both the winter and summer Milky Way arches in all their glory, rising over a lake in the mountains of Bulgaria.

Minkov had been dreaming up taking such a photo for months and was inspired by the idea of seeing the arches side by side. While this is technically impossible, Minkov waited on location in order to photograph them four hours apart and then, in post-production, blended both arches together for the finished project. Though that may not seem the same as capturing them in camera side-by-side, even being able to see them one right after the other is quite rare.

This is a panorama that is extremely difficult to capture for a number of reasons, Minkov tells My Modern Met. It can be done only in one month during the year, and this month is March because the two arches should be at the exact degrees, not too high above the horizon, so its possible to be captured with a camera, and both arches should have the same degrees, so they look equal when I put them close to each other. The other very important thing is to have a clear sky and good weather conditions around the new moon, which I was extremely lucky with.

Using a program called Stellarium, Minkov began studying the phases of the moon in order to determine the best time to photograph the arches. He then needed to settle on a location without obstructions or light pollution in order to make his vision of a 360-degree panorama a reality. He ended up traveling three hours to the Bulgarian town of Shiroka Polyana, where a reservo...

The UKs largest clean air mural has been unveiled at The Bulb, Southampton, as part of the 3.5m transformation of Nelson Gate into a new STEM community hub by FI Real Estate Management.

The striking 1,005 sq m mural by French Street Artist Nerone, used Graphenstone CO2 absorbing paint. These unique lime-based paints absorb CO2 as they cure, as part of the natural lime cycle (the majority in the first 30 days following application). It is estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by The Bulb mural will be around 65kg a year; equivalent to three grown trees, making it the largest clean air mural in the UK.

The mural, which covers the Grade A office building has introduced a splash of colour and a tropical aesthetic to the city. Nerones signature tropical flowers which intertwine with female portraiture wrap the building beautifully.

...

All images Rachel Spelling, shared with permission

A paint chart is ostensibly about planning colours for your home, but if you break it down, there are so many aspects to that: dreams, frustrations, happiness, sadness, loss, family, hope, despair, fashion, identity When you look at my work, you see a lot of ideas all at once, says Rachel Spelling. Prior to 2020, the London-based artist focused on home interiors and painting elaborate murals, including a six-month project to recreate the original Chinese wallpaper pattern of Pitzhanger Manor, the former country house of English architect Sir John Soane, which is now open to the public. Vivid flora and fauna stretch from corner to corner, carefully responding to the surface areaan approach that also happens to work well on a minuscule scale.

Fascinated by the possibilities of painting and drawing since childhood, Spelling has a knack for expressing vibrant detail at on a variety of surface sizes. During the pandemic when everything came to a stand-still, she was eager for a new project, sharing that one long lockdown day, I was at home with a really strong desire to paint some walls but no walls left to paint. There was a Farrow and Ball paint chart on my kitchen table, and I suddenly realised that each paint chip was like a tiny, perfectly prepped wall, just waiting to be painted. Commercial swatches designed to help homeowners and decorators choose colors transformed into a canvas ripe for interpretation.

...

Lyrical Sculptures Fuse the Beauty of Nature With Elegant Human Movement

All For One
The vibrancy of spring going into summer. All From One, was created after considering the molecular energy that we and everything around us are made from. I wanted to reflect nature in my figure, show our connection with it and bring it to the fore. At the same time I wanted to show the energy our bodies can display echoing that of plant life bursting forth, growing outward and eventually blooming. Its how we can feel, not necessarily physically, but with moments in our mind, like elation, or literally bursting with lifeor growth.

Theres a lyrical beauty in the figurative sculptures of Jonathan Hateley. Constructed out of hand-painted bronze and bronze resin, the pieces combine human movement with nature motifs. The elegant subjects are cloaked in leaves, webbing, blossoms, and more. They evoke unity with their surroundings, which are often among gardens or have the backdrop of a field or forest.

Hateley previously sculpted for models and effects in television and film while also creating props for musicals and operas. In 2003, he began to focus on his own work and perfected his process of casting limited edition sculptures that are each handpainted once formed.

While he has his technique down, that doesnt always mean the concepts come easy. I do like it when an idea comes from nowhere into my mind rather than having to struggle for days with my sketchbook to come up with something, he tells My Modern Met. Transience was like that. The blossoming cherry tree idea came to me while in a meeting at an opera company considering an exhibition in their auditorium.

Another idea materialized while reading. All From One, he shares, came to me while reading a Deepak Chopra book talking ab...

Ever feel like you need more time? That its just flying by you?

And, then, do you ever wish you could reverse it?

A study published in Scientific Reports by an international team of researchers has demonstrated that a time-reversal program on a quantum computer is possible.

Image Credit: Pickpik

Researchers have pulled off a mind-boggling experiment using a quantum computer, and boy, does it mess with our understanding of time!

They wanted to see if they could make time reverse itself, just for a split second. You know, like rewinding a video, back in the olden days, but without th...

Clever Enamel Pins Reimagine Famous Artists as Quirky Cats

Niaski | $12.50

Enamel pins are an easy way to spiff up your wardrobe and show off your individuality. For fans of art and cats, art studio Niaski has designed an array of quirky enamel pins that combine the two. Famous artists like Claude Monet and Henri Matisse are reimagined in the form of felines, making these pins ideal gifts for anyone who loves kitties and great works of art.

The quirky series Blue Catisse Cat pin pays tribute to one of Matisse's most famous projects, the Blue Nudes. Just like the French artist's series of color lithographs which depict bare human figures in a distinct shade of blue, this accessory features a stylized rendition of a cerulean kitty who is in the middle of cleaning itself. Similarly, the Clawed Monet pin references Monet's legacy of stunning water lily paintings with a pin of a black feline sporting a pink flower atop its head.

The Ren Mogritte pin is a nod to another great artist. Inspired by Belgian painter Ren Magritte, who is best known for witty Surrealist paintings, this accessory reimagines his The Son of Man. A yellow cat sporting a bowler hat is obscured by a floating green apple, just like in the original work.

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Are you one of those people who roots for the good guys or the bad guys when you watch movies?

I guess it can go either way, depending on how your brain operatesand depending on what the move is.

Whats a good movie where the bad guy wins?

Check out what folks had to say about this.

Good sci-fi.

Upgrade.

Really enjoyed this one. Upgrade is what Venom could have been without the annoying wisecracking bloodthirsty cartoon character.

Came out same year, even. Plus its even weirder that both stars are doppelgngers?

Great movie.

The Usual Suspects.

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled, was convincing people he didnt really exist. And like that..hes gone.

A hidden gem.

Primal Fear.

Edward Norton is incredible in that movie.

Richard Gere was too. When the realization hits, his face is perfect.

Stunned.

Arlington Road.

This is one of the only movies where the bad guy wins, and thats it, the end.

He doesnt d** and win like in Se7en. The baddies just trick the protagonist big time and win.

Leaves you feeling almost angry, stunned even.

Creepy movie.

Nightcrawler.

Interesting thing about nightcrawler is that the music was deliberately upbeat, life affirming, and triumphant when Gyllenhalls character is doing the worst possible things, but its because the choice was made that he is the hero in his own story.

All his worst attributes he sees as his strengths. Its another reason that film works so well and adds to the weirdness of it.

...

<p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1108699" height= "801" src= "https://cdn8.openculture.com/2023/05/29151924/liedetector.webp" width="1280"></p> <p>In the criminal justice system, the evergreen <em><a href= "https://lawandorder.fandom.com/wiki/Law_&_Order">Law & Order</em>s opening credits remind us, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important, groups: the police, who investigate crime; and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.</p> <p>They fail to mention the life-sized skeleton with ghastly glowing eyes and a camera tucked away inside its skull.</p> <p>Thats because no police department ever saw fit to put Helene Adelaide Shelbys 1930 patent for a highly unusual <a href= "https://patents.google.com/patent/US1749090">apparatus for obtaining criminal confessions and photographically recording them</a> into practice.</p> <div class="oc-center-da"><ins class="adsbygoogle" style= "display: inline-block; width: 336px; height: 280px;"></ins> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</div> <p></p> <p class="p2"><img alt="" class= "alignnone size-full wp-image-1108700" height="1214" src= "https://cdn8.openculture.com/2023/05/29151944/liedector2.webp" width="1217"></p>

French is known as the language of romance, a reputation that, whatever cultural support it enjoys, would be difficult to defend on purely linguistic grounds. But it wouldnt be controversial in the least to call it a Romance language, which simply refers to its descent from the Latin spoken across the Roman Empire. In that category, however, French doesnt come out on top: its 77 million speakers put it above Romanian (24 million) and Italian (67 million), but below Spanish (489 million) and Portuguese (283 million). If you know any one of these languages, you can understand at least a little of all the others, but French stands out for its relative lack of family resemblance.

Why is acqua just eau? asks Joshua Rudder, creator of the Youtube channel NativLang. How are cambiar and casa related to change and chez? He addresses the causes of these differences between modern-day French, Spanish, and Italian in the video above, which presents the historical-linguistic explanation in the form of a long and tricky recipe.

Ive never sued anyone before and I really, REALLY hope I never have to.

Because it seems like a big nightmare AND a big headache.

So this guy mustve had his reasons for taking his brother-in-law to small claims court.

But did he go too far?

Read his story below and see if you think he acted like an a**hole.

AITA for taking my BIL to small claims court over art supplies?

A bit of context: I (29M) like to draw and try other mediums as well. As such Ive accumulated a lot of art supplies over the past few years.

My wife (Sally 27F) also dabbles a bit and we have converted one of the rooms in our home to an art studio of sorts. Theres easily a few thousand dollars worth of art supplies in that room and we tend to keep it locked for that reason. Most important to me are my pencils and markers which were not cheap (Chartpak for those who care).

Onto the story: Sally and I had her family over for her aunts birthday a few weeks back and my BIL and SIL brought their kids with them (7F and 6M). We had forgotten to lock the door to the room that day. About an hour into the party I noticed that both kids were nowhere to be seen, so I asked my SIL if she knew where they were. She said that they were drawing in the other room. I asked if my wife was with them and she said she (SIL to be clear not Sally) just told them which room it was in.

I immediately rushed over to the art room and found it was a total mess. Most devastatingly was the fact that all my markers were ruined because that kids were using way to much force casing the tips to fray. I yelled at them to get out and they started crying. My BIL ran over and started yelling at me saying theyre just kids and its just markers. I told him that the markers a...

Photo Credit: TikTok

We like to think that the latest advances in technology will only make our lives easier, especially when it comes to business, but thats not always the case.

And a woman who shared a video on TikTok learned this very important lesson the hard way.

Like $1,000 the hard way.

Business owners use Instagram to sell various items but this video proves that there are still some serious issues with the process on the social media platform because she claims that she lost $1,000 worth of business due to a glitch.

Photo Credit:...

Its petty revenge time, folks!

And we have a feeling that this story from Reddit will make you cringe, smile, recoil in horror, AND possibly even laugh.

Because its a wild one!

Take a look at this womans story and see what you think.

After 20 years, I put the petty revenge cherry on top of a baby poo sundae.

We had a family gathering over Easter, including my Aunty Dot and her daughter Louise and Louises family. Aunty Dot isnt related to us, shes married to my Uncle Len who came out to Australia on the same ship as my Dad, and theyve been like brothers ever since.

Im going to be blunt. I dont like Louise. If I had my own way, Id have nothing to do with her. But I love my aunt and uncle, and Im Uncle Lens medical decision maker, so I have to suffer her presence. (Uncle Len is in a nursing home because of his frail health.)

If I gave you the full list of my reasons for disliking Louise, Id never get to the petty revenge. But here are the edited highights. She does mean and hurtful s**t, and then brushes it off with, but I didnt mee-ean to, or I was only trying to hell-elp, or but Im just say-ing what I fee-eel. Including the time she tried to stop my sisters from going to my Mums funeral 20 years ago, because theyre fostered and not real family. The irony has been noted.

Shes also an Olympic hopeful in the heavy-weight competitive child raising event.

Aunty Dot and Louise arrived with a frilly green dress and matching bloomers for my 6 month old, Vampira (she has two teeth, and likes fingers). While I was settling the adult guests in, and handing out chocolate ovoids to the younger kids, my partner Martin, dressed Vampira in her new outfit. She looked like an adorably cross frog in a frock.

Aunty Dot had a cuddle, and asked...