A list of intriguing things
One: Patrick Commecy is misleadingly dubbed the Banksy of France. His art is quite different. Hyper-realistic and yet surreal, it transforms abandoned buildings into a visual feast. The paintings belong to a genre of painting that dates back to the Baroque period:
Trompe l’oeil is French for "to deceive the eye", an art historical tradition in which the artist fools us into thinking we’re looking at the real thing. Whether it’s a painted fly that we’re tempted to brush away, or an illusionistic piece of paper with curling edges that entices us to pick it up, trompe l’oeil makes us question the boundary between the painted world and ours.
Commecy’s frescoes showcase the history and culture of the towns they are located in. The lead image of ‘Cinéma Cannes’ is one example (It’s a very cool collage of iconic characters, actors and scenes that you can see in greater detail in this vid). You can better appreciate the transformation in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pics below. My Modern Met has a collection, Commecy’s website has lots more.
Two: Move over beige-core! It's time for ‘Japandi’—a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian (Scandi) style. Vogue describes it as so:
Muted and sparse, yet somehow soft; filled with straight-lined furniture and tactile materials. Somewhere (usually atop a wooden table) is an earthy vase filled with branches or other assorted greenery. Everything is orderly, but in a way that feels serene rather than strict. You know it’s vaguely Scandinavian, but not solely of the Western world—yet it’s not entirely Eastern either.
Some defining elements include neutral tones, an emphasis on organic and natural materials, and lots of light.
FYI: This is not a random khichdi born on TikTok. The two cultures share connections that date back to the mid 1850s—when Scandinavian designers and artists visited Japan and “quickly became enthralled with the Japanese style.” We’re quite enthralled with the Japandi bathroom below. You can see loads more examples over at Japandi Interior by Laila Rietbergen. (Architectural Digest)
Also a fave:
Three: Fire-breathing dragons are sadly not real. But if your inner Khaleesi is acting up, you can now get yourself a fire-throwing robot dog! Say hello to the (wittily named) Thermonator, aka “your ultimate firepower companion”—the latest invention by an Ohio company also appropriately named Throwflame.
Quick frankly, this dog belongs in a Marvel flick:
The Thermonator… is a 26-pound robotic quadruped that comes equipped with one of the company’s characteristic ARC flamethrowers mounted on its back. The bot can shoot fire in a 30-foot stream and comes with a built-in fuel tank powered by gasoline. The company says the robot also has an hour-long battery, a laser sight, lidar mapping, and can be remotely controlled via the company’s app.
The sticker price: $9,420. No, a Thermonator is not intended as a cool toy to terrorise your neighbours. The possible uses listed by the company include “ecological conservation,” “entertainment and SFX,” and “snow and ice removal.” TBH, we much prefer Spot to the Thermonator—but hey, all doggies are God’s creatures, including the artificial kind. Watch it in action below. (Gizmodo)
