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X-MAS BOOK-SHELF - CCCP Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed - Frederic Chaubin

As you will have probably already realised I have a particular interest in ruins and modernist architecture and recently I have come across this little gem and thought that I would share it with you in case anyone has time to pick it up before Christmas. This book by the photographer Fredric Chaubin reveals an until now relatively unknown period in Soviet architecture between 1970-1990 before the the fall of the Berlin Wall. The buildings that are illustrated show a eclectic sense of creativity that reflect a state in crisis with centralised power waning. The buildings are devoid of unifying features, however universally interesting and this book is a must have for anyone interested in architecture or Cold War history in general. Aside from enthusiasts it will entice just about anyone, as the buildings range from the sci-fi to the anthropomorphic and leave you wanting to book a cheap flight to Eastern Europe to seek them out... I am already planning mine! One thing is for sure, such buildings are in stone, glass and steel, what Orwell and Huxley revealed in text in their utopian/dystopian visions of the future. All I can say is make sure you put this book on your Father Christmas list this year!

Luke Stephenson - Colourful Showbirds

Luke Stephenson, a British photographer based in London, has over the last two years been photographing the diverse and colourful world of the show-bird. In a series titled "Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds" Stephenson has entered into a peculiar colourful world, hidden from the plain light of day. Stephenson works primarily in the format of portraiture, however as this series has shown, his definition and understanding of the genre is very broad. His work reminds one of the old fashioned naturalists cataloguing of new species, however his balance of colour lends the photographs with a playful  sense of the character of the individual subjects. To view further images in the series, check out his website.

Modern Ruins

post-industrial from Dawkeye on Vimeo.

Le Corbusier - Unite d'habitation

The current turn towards community based art work, which has flooded the contemporary art scene in the last couple of decades, has led me to reconsider the pioneering architecture of Le Corbusier. Such work has taken over the biennial scene with artists such as Rikrit Tiravanja becoming something of a global nomad, cooking Thai curry for art world audiences from Kassel to to Istanbul. Whilst these artists are continuing the project of the avant garde: to confront art's autonomy, they still operate very much within the confines of the institution. When considering the merging of art and life, I could think of no better example than that of Corbusier's Unite d'habitation, which quite literally realises the reconciliation of art and life in concrete. As is stands now, as a monument to the Brutalist movement, perhaps it would be useful to reconsider the lessons or ideologies that are contained within this building and reassess which microtopia is more effective, that of Tiravanja which generates a spectacle for a predominantly upper class art going public, or the idealistic project set out by Corbusier that combines function and art together in order to generate a diverse, effective and unified living environment. When viewing this genius design, one is pained to see the reality of post war design that was influenced by, but not identical to Corbusier's ideal. Lack of money and time have contributed to the construction of the alienating high rise buildings that grace Britain's skies today, which have become hotbeds for crime and antisocial behaviour, something which ironically is now being confronted by the turn towards community art projects within contemporary art.

Unite d'habitation - Present condition from Pasha Rueda on Vimeo.