Selections from Complex Mag
In 2013 and 2014 I worked at Complex Magazine as an editorial intern. I have curated some of my favorite articles on this site. But feel free to check out full body of work for Complex Art + Design.
24 Architectural Renderings That Show What the World Could Look Like in 2040
Architects constantly keep an eye towards the future when designing new buildings and infrastructure. With projects that take years and years to complete, they often must imagine what the world will look like decades from now. People like Zaha Hadid, with her futuristic designs, make us feel like we've already time traveled. Over in California, Apple is building a campus that actually looks like a giant spaceship, which will be completed in two years. But even when designs don't look like they come from centuries ahead of us, we can look to plans from big architecture firms to see what the future might hold. By 2040, Stockholm will probably have a giant floating sphere over the highway entrance to the city, and Belgrade is slated to get an upgrade from some of the world's best architects. In the future, hotels and restaurants will be underwater or only accessible via helicopter, and we might start living in the desert or in pyramids the size of cities. Take a glimpse into the future with 24 Architectural Renderings That Show What the World Could Look Like in 2040.
“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.”
The Art Evolution of Banksy
This month, New York is buzzing with talk of Banksy. The anonymous street artist is currently staging a residency in the city called "Better Out Than In," where he puts up a new piece every day. The stunt has led to a Banksy craze in the form of a scavenger hunt to find the graffiti, followed by its inevitable destruction within the same day. Just yesterday, the world may have been as close as they have ever come to catching the elusive street artist.
But despite his popularity, not much is known about the infamous Banksy. He has maintained a cloak of anonymity since his start as a graffiti writer in the 1990s. His clever, politically-charged works are meant to shock and awe, and we have come to expect them to do just that, but Banksy hasn't always been political. His earlier graffiti writing was very different from his stencils today, and since he took to the streets, Banksy, along with Shepard Fairey, Invader, and so many others, is one of the reasons street art has grown in popularity. As The Wooster Collective puts it, "Shepard Fairey created the movement... Banksy created the market." Catch up with Banksy's Art Evolution and find out what the hype is really about.
The Design Evolution of Kanye West's Live Performances
Kanye West wants you to take him seriously as an artist and rightfully so. Since the release of his first album in 2004, Kanye has proven himself to be far more than a producer or a rapper, supported by his love for visual art and his ability to find and combine the best creatives—albeit architects, stage designers, art directors, or fashion designers—to accomplish something truly next-level.
Whether he's installing dancers choreographed by artist Vanessa Beecroft, working with first-class stage designer Es Devlin on five tours and multiple one-off shows, or patenting a seven-screen experience, he's serious about how he appears during live performances. What most people don't realize is that he's been working on the design of his live show for a while, often expanding on ideas he was executing back during The College Dropout and Touch the Sky tours, like performing on mountains and pyramids, having key guest performers like Chaka Khan, Jamie Foxx, and Daft Punk, and using naturalistic visuals with highly detailed attention to coloring and sequence.
Tomorrow, Kanye's Yeezus tour resumes in Philadelphia, so we went deep into the Internet to gather The Design Evolution of Kanye West's Live Performances, which includes his tours, awards show performances, SNL performances, VH1 Storytellers, and yeah, Dave Chappelle's block party. It's a wild journey that will teach you more about Kanye than you ever knew before, and you'll probably appreciate what he's done for music and culture more, too.
Grumpy Cat Responds to Banksy's New York Residency
Grumpy Cat has long been established as one of our all time favorite memes. Can anything beat a cat with so much sass? And Banksy definitely makes the list of our favorites as well. But that got us thinking... What happens when the world's harshest critic meets the world's most mysterious street artist? Maybe Banksy is the one who will finally turn that cranky feline's frown upside down. From Banksy's unknown identity to his new pieces in New York, Grumpy Cat has something to say about the street artist's residency in the city. Grumpy Cat Responds to Banksy's New York Residency, and it's hilarious.
Houses Built in 2013 That Will Blow Your Mind
From houses designed to look like a block tofu, a Chinese coin, and a tree house, we've seen it all this year. Some architects set to work on luxury abodes, complete with infinity pools and stunning sunset views. Other firms took a subtler approach, creating homes that blended in with their environments both physically and with eco-friendly material. From the jagged edges of Daniel Libeskind's 18.36.54 House to the smooth curves of the Spiral House in Espoo, this year included a wide diversity of stunning architecture. Check them all out with our list of the Houses Built in 2013 That Will Blow Your Mind.