In Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die, He explores the realities of medically assisted death. Having been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease in 2008, Terry considers how he might choose to end his life as his condition progresses. In a moving documentary he meets those who, like him, would like to control the way they die including a men suffering from degenerative conditions and he is with a British motor neurone sufferer as he carries out an assisted death at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.
May 19, 2011 by Matt DeAngelis VC Johnson is the genius behind the graphics that propelled Powell·Peralta into the stratosphere. His iconic images have inspired countless others to not only draw, but in some cases, to begin skating in the first place. An enigmatic figure, he disappeared off of the radar for almost 20 years until starting to work with Pocket Pistols a few years ago, and now back in his rightful place, Powell·Peralta. MD: So how did skateboard graphics fit into a journey of self exploration? VCJ: They answered to the needs of the soul that chose the body. The soul that inherited, that grabbed the baton in my early 30s had a very different mandate and how it affected the life is fascinating. I can see this in other souls who’ve come to profound turning points in their lives and I’ve shared notes with those souls who have experienced a transformation at the core of being. I come back to the company interested in a different o...
Toshio Saeki (佐伯俊男) is a Japanese artist and mangaka born in 1945 famous for his paintings and drawing focusing on erotica, violence, and perversion. He has published numerous book and had gallery shows around the world. It has been suggested that his highly original erotic creations have been influential on some of Japan's most well known contemporary artists including Aida Makoto and Takashi Murakami. Saeki's paintings often feature men and women as well as demons, animals, corpses, and other creatures in various erotic or violent settings. His work has received warnings from the Japanese government, though it has never been officially banned. His works are collected avidly by erotic art fans in Japan, America, France, and other parts of the world. Saeki has said that he enjoys using his art to shock people and he doesn't really involve himself in the extreme activity of his best known works. Toshio Saeki's site can be found here. Check ...
No, that's not a typo: Korean artist Seo Young-Deok's latest series of nude sculptures is made entirely from lengths of chain of both the medium-gauge household variety and bicycle chains. The color evokes traditional materials, i.e. bronze, yet the chain imparts a distinct texture even as it constitutes surprisingly detailed human forms, life-size and larger still. If the use of chains seems too easy a metaphor for human reality, Young-Deok transcends any gimmickry with his masterful command of his craft: he achieves a remarkable level of verisimilitude and aesthetic refinement. The bicycle chain sculptures are particularly impressive, as Young-Deok takes advantage of the articulation of the roller chain by creating sculptures in which the links face outward, like scales (above), as well as ones in which the chain appears to be wrapped around a figure (below). The latter variation strikes me as a riff on 3D-printing, where it is possible to discern di...
