| June 23, 2002 |
Cut & Paste
This  history of photomontage takes us back to the Victorian era, a time when early photographers used mistakes and the limits of the new technology to create unusual art. Double exposures, contact printing, and other combinations of images -- created in the darkroom and with scissors and glue -- expanded the art form. But it was the Dada artists in 1920s Berlin who coined the term "photomontage" and pushed this art to new heights. Hannah Höch's work during this era still looks startlingly modern and fresh. John Heartfield was an early political artist who used montage to critique Hitler. Photomontage enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when artists like Peter Kennard shaped Cold War iconography into protests against nuclear armament. In the 21st century, younger artists, like Sean Hillen, continue to express themselves through montage. (in Visual Arts) |
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| June 22, 2002 |
Gnod
Gnod  wants to get to know you. It really wants to understand you. This experiment crosses artificial intelligence with a search engine and uses the resultant technology to suggest music and books. Type in three of your current favorites, and Gnod will recommend a new musician or author you might like. Rate him or her, and Gnod makes more suggestions, up to 10 in one cycle. If you're curious about Gnod's recommendations, just click the links to buy the CD or book. You can even learn about the world of Gnod, which contains web sites, jokes, stories, and things that don't fit anywhere else. Just feed Gnod, and you will quickly become immersed in its world. (in Artificial Intelligence) |
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| June 21, 2002 |
mc.clintock.com
Welcome  to Matthew McClintock's home. He's very happy you've stopped by and invites you to look around. Watch your step, as there are several different directions you can choose. You're invited to have a seat and watch some television. Maybe you'd like to read a book. If you're thirsty, help yourself to some milk or juice. How about something to eat? Mr. McClintock doesn't have much, but he can offer a bratwurst tofu sausage. Don't worry if you spill something. Mr. McClintock will just throw your clothes in the laundry, and you can change into some of his trousers. After you're settled down, why don't you and Mr. McClintock retire to the sun porch, grab the banjo mandolin, and while away the afternoon? (in Recreation & Sports) |
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| June 20, 2002 |
Apple Online Museum
Founded  by two college dropouts both named Steve, Apple Computer quickly rose to great heights, fell to great lows, and then rose again. This makes the company's history as fascinating as its elegantly designed products. It seems that for every failure like the Newton PDA, there was a hugely popular success like the PowerBook, the first real laptop on the market. Everything Apple created is chronicled here, from the original 1984 Macintosh (note the praise from Bill Gates) to the fastest-selling PC in history, the 1998 iMac. There's even a list of formerly secret product codenames. This virtual museum is insanely great for anyone who thinks different. (in Computers & Internet) |
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| June 19, 2002 |
July 1942: United We Stand
In  an unprecedented display of national unity, more than 500 American magazines featured the nation's flag on their July 1942 covers to show support for the ongoing war and celebrate the country's birthday. On the 60th anniversary of this "United We Stand" campaign, the National Museum of American History invites you to peruse the covers, check out the ones judges deemed award-winning, and see if you agree with their choice for the Grand Prize. If you want to learn more about the artists and designers who created the patriotic and stylish magazine covers, look behind the designs. Finally, see how magazines continued to feature the flag after the war, and examine the reemergence of the stars and stripes post-September 11. (in World War II) |
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| June 18, 2002 |
This  17th-century painter captured the poetry and serenity of churches in his native Holland. This site from the Getty Museum showcases Saenredam's beautiful work and inimitable vision by featuring sketches and paintings of his hometown (Haarlem) church of St. Bavokerk, as well as St. Catharinakerk and other churches in Utrecht, a city that boasted more churches than any other in Holland. While Rembrandt and other masters of the Dutch Golden Age of art concentrated on people and landscapes, Saenredam explored the architecture of places of worship. His paintings emphasizes the stark, clean lines of the structures, bathed in sunlight and usually devoid of human figures, and have a spiritual, meditative quality about them. |
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| June 17, 2002 |
Who Lives Here?
Ever  wonder what's going on behind closed doors in Italy? Well, with the inception of this peace-loving virtual community, it's no longer a mystery. If you really like what you see, you're invited to move in alongside other like-minded folks who are willing to take snapshots of their abodes and share them with the online masses. The goal is to promote a borderless world and see how we're all similar -- or dissimilar as the case may be. An early survey of listed digs finds Californians displaying an eclectic shabby streak and Europeans exhibiting some old-world flair. Sure, it's a tad voyeuristic and most of the tenants are Gen-Xers, but since the premise is peace and love, the more tenants the merrier. If you have a digital camera around your crib and a penchant for innocuous exhibitionism, why not fill out an application for tenancy? |
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