Reuben Margolin

OMG this rulez.





"Reuben Margolin, a Bay Area visionary and longtime maker, creates totally singular techno-kinetic wave sculptures. Using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects, Reubens artwork is diverse, with sculptures ranging from tiny to looming, motorized to hand-cranked. Focusing on natural elements like a discrete water droplet or a powerful ocean eddy, his work is elegant and hypnotic. Also, learn how ocean waves can power our future. Learn more about Reuben at http://www.reubenmargolin.com"

OSLO OPERA HOUSE = SKATEPARK

Photo: Jiri Havran via Wired

When I saw that Wired Magazine recently (Nov 08) did an article on the skate-ability of the new Oslo Opera House I got a little excited, stood up, and maybe...just maybe did a little dance.  In High School I did too much skating and snow surfing to actually become an Architect, but I always knew that my board was helping me develop  a very intimate relationship with our proverbial concrete jungle. My Senior year I won a Scholastic Gold Key for my photos of a skatepark that focused on the architectural merits of the shapes present and my post below about Mark Gonzalez is pretty specific about being hopeful for a more integrated public space and the interaction between skating and architecture.  

The article in Wired is short, but sweet and can be found here. 

"Snøhetta used different finishes of marble to guide skaters looking for rideable surfaces. Acoustically sensitive parts, like above the auditorium, got rough marble that's unpleasant to wheel over. But other areas silently beckon skaters. Surfaces rise up all over the place to become ledges, curbs, and benches—like the jagged facets of a glacier (or skate park). One particularly tempting spot is a 3-foot-wide railing of smooth stone. Snøhetta architect Peter Dang is, ahem, absolutely sure it's skatable. 'Just make sure to fall toward the inside,' he advises."

Another, even more informative and theoretically focused, article called "A Skateboarders Guide to Architecture, or an Architect's Guide to Skateboarding" can be found here.

This is an older video, but it's one of my favorites. Can't go wrong with Mark Gonzalez riding a skateboard anytime - much less a sorta longboard in an art museum dressed in a fencers uniform. ''I wanted to appear like a dancer but not too feminine,'' he said in a NYTimes article. ''The fencing uniform shows your body type but also means business.''




Though this is a music video for Jason Schwartzmans band Coconut Records (which has just released a new record called Davy, that I think is quite good) the footage is from Cheryl Dunn's film "Back World for Words" - which I would kill to see.

The next best thing however is this spectators vantage point that provides a little more connection with the performance.


I think this is a really groundbreaking 'piece' if it can be called that. I think architects, city planners, and curators could all benefit from thinking about this concept of the act of skateboarding (or other public sports that require equal parts cojones and finesse) as art. Not only the act, but the obstacle can hold more potential energy in their aesthetic than a Pollack. Bottom line: I'd love to see more integration of recreation into the cityscapes.