eMusings

The joy of the Internet is also its drawback: there is simply too much information, much of it excellent, for the mind to absorb. I hope that in making these suggestions for your web surfing I have singled out some of the best.

The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem is showing some fine work by its students. Enlarge the thumbnails to see where the future is beginning.

One of the Bezalel students, Orly Montag, has created this haunting portrait in porcelain.

The Magazine gives us a view of the future in design, particularly with natural materials.

I am absolutely in awe of this chair. I may even have to reappraise my feelings about cabbage.

Don't miss these rare color photographs from the Depression era. One, of women workers in a roundhouse, has the quality of an old master painting.

I'm sure you all are familiar with the TED talks. If not, you are missing one of the extraordinary educational opportunities on the Web. Indeed the range of subject matter is almost overwhelming. One that I have particuarly enjoyed recently comes from Michael Pawlyn discussing how we can use nature's forms as an inspiration for human architecture.

MAD Magazine conceived of a fund-raising ball featuring glowing designs. Preview some of the fine exhibits here

Viewers of these pages will appreciate an article from the Guardian concerning the necessity of saving the early digital art from disintegration and oblivion. The need is critical, as you know, and little seems to be happening to remedy this loss of our cultural history.

Luke Jerram's Glass Microbiology project was developed in coordination with virologists and glass blowers. You can also watch a video of the glass-blowing process as it is being done, and see examples of other projects at his website.

c.Corinne Whitaker 2011