Nothing to do? Why not meet someone at the MET. Catch The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, closing August 9th. It examines the changing ideal of beauty from 1947 to 1997 and the people that helped project them. This riveting exibit features photography, video and articles of clothing from Yves Saint Laurent to Versace. Go on a sunny day to see Roxy Paine on the Roof:Maelstrom, a 130 foot by 45 foot stainless steel sculpture that looks like a tree on steroids. Ok maybe not exactly. There’s plenty else to see including Michelangelo’s First Painting. If none of this tickles your fancy, feel free to pout in the room full of Monets’. I mean, really, how many brillant works can you have in one building? … I guess that’s why they put one of the roof.

Here are a few photos of The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, courtesy of the special exhibitions page.

Cristobal Balenciaga (French, b. Spain 1895-1972)
Day dress, 1955-56

Gianni Versace (Italian, b. 1946-1997)
Evening dress, spring/summer 1991

Bert Stern (American, b. 1929)
Twiggy in Yves Saint Laurent, Vogue, March 15, 1967

Racism and thread? Ok, wait, hold on.
Racism: An American Family Value is a new exhibition open at The Center for Book Arts in NYC. The striking title is centered on racism used in art to expose it, satirize it, and document it. The bold pieces are coupled with an annual members show, Threads: Interweaving Textu[r]al Meaning. Members of the Center’s art community and other select artists use actual thread to suggest content and form. This isn’t your mama’s type of thread. Visually compelling and equally thought provoking, these works from over 60 different artists will have you looking at art in a new light. The show is free 6 days a week until September 12th. So don’t sew your mouth shut about it.

Check out a few photos I took on opening night.

Candice Hicks, Common Thread Series (detail)

Heidi Neilson and Chris Petrone, Uniform Paper (text reads 100% Prison Jumpsuit)

Miguel Luciano, Cracker Juan

Vandana Jain, The Lego Alphabet

Banksy is an English artist more undercover than an FBI agent. Even his birth name is a mystery. And good luck on sending a birthday card; was it 1974? ‘75? … Is he real? This graffiti writing and stenciling talent focuses his work on satire, politics and culture. You may never be able to shake his hand but you’ll sure enjoy his unconventional work like anarchist rats and homicidal ATM machines. And if you happen to be in the U.K., check out his exhibit at Bristol Museum now until August 31st. Mystery man isn’t a penny squeezer either, you can see his crazy pieces for free.

Banksy vs Bristol

Sammy Lin, a coffee shop in Vancouver takes its coffee with art. See how dressed up a latte can be! Playing with your food is so passé.

Street art is what usually refers to graffiti, but we’re forgetting perfect spaces to cover; the street.

Roadworth isn’t forgetting. Check out these crazy alterations of blacktop.

Have you been interested in pills but you don’t like taking them orally? Try these. You just put these in your ears and you’re on the way back to health. Thanks to Dynah for sending this to me.

After the jump, some more photos. (more…)

The last time I saw a dirty car with the words “Wash Me,” I thought to myself, “How cliche is that?!” Ok, I don’t think I actually talk or think like that. However, I do think cool things can be done with dirty windshields on dirty cars. Thanks to Erin, for sending over to me Scott Wade’s Dirty Car Gallery. He’s done it all, with more after the jump. (more…)

Found again on Wooster Collective, this series of elves have been seen in the streets of Auckland, New Zealand. It puts me in the spirit for suresies. By the way, if you’re buying me something, can you make it a Roombie? More pics after the jump and of course, email street art links to lee@cutandsewn.com. (more…)

Name that game and you’ve found the key to my heart. I’ll give you a clue, it used the light gun (not pictured or legoed). Found on geekologie, great site by the way, is famous Nintendo game scenes in legos. Where is Blades of Glory or Jordan vs. Bird, though? More great legos by skinny coder after the jump.

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This would be funny on shirt or a postcard, maybe not a billboard or children’s tv program. Would you rather be eaten by a bear or have to eat a bear cub?

It’s as if that pole’s shadow is a candy cane or a wrapped fruitcake. These pics from Rio are of the project known as Distraídos Venceremos. Applying human shadows of crazy colors to inanimate objects is cool in anyone’s book.

Got cool street art? Email them to lee@cutandsewn.com or leave me a link in the comments!

The Public Poster Project is pretty good. Putting up large posters that people either ignore completely or are befuddled by is cool by me. Take a look.

More after the jump. (more…)