pure shapes

Pyramid. Driving by the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas

(image by: vivien chin)

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and the storm rolls in…

As I take this I walk through aggressively blowing winds and downpour that occurs 10 secs after. The picture does no justice. The sky was black as night.

(image by: vivien chin)

gallow green

The McKittrick Hotel on 27th street not only houses the amazing Sleep No More performances, it has just now opened a rooftop garden bar. It’s so cute and fun. Cocktails, alcoholic punch bowls for groups, wine, beer, great view of the water and the city complete with Empire State Building nearby. Blonde in Peril drink shown above. Reservations currently needed. $20 dollars a person, but the amount go towards the overall bill at the end. Check it out if you can.

(images by: vivien chin)

1000+ cranes of light

Just submitted a proposal for the Nuit Blanche 2012 Bring to Light Festival along the Brooklyn Waterfront with Artist/Architect Raylene Gorum and Lighting Designer Paul Hudson.  The above images are some of the items from the submission as well as partial full scale mock up with colored to study the light and reflective qualities of each deconstructed “crane” on itself and architectural space.  The site we chose was an old rope factory in Greenpoint Brooklyn.  Wish us luck in winning a final spot in the Festival!  Here is a description of our installation:

“1000+ Cranes of Light”
Proposal for Nuit Blanche 2012
Bring to Light festival of illuminated installations on the Brooklyn waterfront
by Raylene Gorum, Vivien Chin + Paul Hudson

We are proposing an installation for the breezeway at 67 West Street that uses physical materials and form to articulate the light and highlight the unique architectural properties of this specific site.  This installation will take the general form of a flock of shiny origami cranes suspended on fishing wire rising up from the ground floor of the alleyway through the 4 story balconies above.  They will be made out of highly reflective mylar which will be bathed in colored light and animate the alley in shimmering watery reflections.  The effect will be that of a wall of light shattered into dynamic prisms.  The details will reveal what those in theatrical lighting refer to as a “revelation of form”.

The “flock” starts at the ground level with the first steps of the origami fold.  The pieces/birds increase in complexity as the flock rises through the four balconies above until it finally takes its finished bird form.  The resulting three-dimensional “fabric” is composed of permuations of this modular bird base and weaves through the balcony side of the breezeway.  It’s an homage to both the poetry of flight and the process of construction/deconstuction.

Contrast is key here – these cranes will act as beacons of colorful flittering light in an otherwise compressed and low-lit space.  The piece itself is at once massive (22′ wide and over 60′ high) and massless (being made of feather weight materials and defying gravity).  We also understand that many of the other installations will be large streetside projections and offer this as a delicately constructed analog counterpoint to be discovered in the intimate setting of this unique industrial breezeway.

(images by vivien chin, raylene gorum, & paul hudson)

5 years_nyc

Been in New York City 5 Years today! Happy Anniversary!!

View of the rooftop gardens with the new World Trade Center Towers in construction (background) as taken from an apartment on 12th street. Classic NYC. Love it. What a different view from higher up!

(image by: vivien chin)

happy water

Happy water comes from happy bars (aka Baby Grand). Do you see the smiley face??

(image by: justin kruse)

milk bar

Momofuku Milk Bar signage – UWS

(image by: vivien chin)