Cultrface – a blog dedicated to culture and how it enriches our lives.

Easy Klein is an 'Incredibly Kleinish Blue' paint for everyone to use

Simon Semple gave us the world’s pinkest pink that Anish Kapoor was banned from using in reaction to Kapoor’s exclusive Vantablack, the world’s blackest black. And now we have a new form of paint democracy from the artist called Easy Klein. But it has nothing to do with Kapoor this time.

A paint called YInMn Blue was released as a modern interpretation of Yves Klein’s famous International Klein Blue (my favourite blue ahead of cobalt blue, by the way). But at $200 a bottle, it’s not for everyone. So Semple decided to do his own thing:

Semple’s response was to do away with both that prohibitive pricing and Klein’s legal protection of his blue which stated in 1960 that other artists would require permission to use it. According to Culture Hustle, which is selling Semple’s new easy to use, acrylic paint version, it has “an uncanny scent of CK One.”

“Due to legal reasons, I can’t tell you our blue is IKB, International Klein Blue, but what I can say is that it’s an Incredibly Kleinish Blue,” says Semple. “In my mind, it’s the most beautiful blue ever and, although YinMin is cool, a lot of us have always dreamed of having a go on IKB.”

Quote from Creative Boom article

Easy Klein is a fraction of the price at $29 a bottle and it looks just as good, in my opinion.

Blue related: Blue rinse and the blue cows of Latvia

The Mandalorian pinball machine

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The Mandalorian Pinball - Official Game Trailer

The Mandalorian has been a major hit for Star Wars fans and now there’s an officially licenced pinball machine for it. Stern Pinball, Inc. has made a new line of 3 Mandalorian pinball machines in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.

Prepare for battle on the gravity-changing, rotating Encounter upper mini playfield available on the Premium and Limited Edition models. This innovative, motorized rotating playfield is packed with six stand-up targets, lights, and two full-size flippers for high intensity pinball action.

Watch out for ambushes! Like the Mandalorian seen in the series, players can be ambushed by enemy forces. A dynamic inner loop shot activates an up/down horseshoe scoop ramp for fast, repeatable precision shooting, creating tense experiences on the Premium and Limited Edition models.

Players can navigate their way to multiball mayhem by hitting a unique hanging uplift target attached to a custom molded Razor Crest ship. Success in hitting the target qualifies a center ramp shot on the Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.

Prices start at $6,199 USD for the Pro Model, $7,799 USD for the Premium Model, and $9,199 USD for the Limited Edition Model (of which only 750 will be available).

gal-dem on visual artists depicting life in Jamaica

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Happy Jamaican Independence Day!

For gal-dem, Pacheanne Anderson compiled a list of filmmakers, artists, and photographers showcasing life in Jamaica from the Blue Mountains to the troubled streets:

There are of course many artists belonging to the Caribbean diaspora working and living in the US and UK such as Karen Mc Lean, Terrell Villiers and RIP Germain (all of whom are worth a mention in this arena). However, here, we are focusing on artists living and working on the island. Artists who take a close look into Jamaican lifestyle in all its facets, from the spirituality found within the bushes high up in the mountains, to the political and economic turmoil present in the depths of parts of its most celebrated towns like Kingston.

There’s some amazing work on the list so go check out the article on gal-dem. And Jamdown forever!

Defunctland on the history of Captain EO

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Defunctland: The History of Captain EO

Defunctland gave a detailed account of Captain EO from idea to execution to eventual shutdown. Like with many Disney things, it was over budget at a time when they couldn’t really afford it (it all cost $23.7m to produce, before inflation—$1.7m per minute of the film), too many people were involved, and it didn’t meet the expectations of some critics. And watch out for more signature Michael Eisner jibes. But hey, Michael Jackson was good!

The etymological identity crisis of Arctic bears

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A fascinating read about bears and the Arctic and how their etymological histories are based on anonymity and opposites. The link to the Slovak Studies program at the University of Pittsburgh where the below quote is from is dead so here it is from the Boing Boing article:

The Old Slavic people (the linguistic ancestors of today’s speakers of, e.g., Slovak, Polish, Croatian), Old Germanic people (the linguistic ancestors of today’s speakers of, e.g., English, German, Norwegian), and Old Baltic people (the linguistic ancestors of today’s speakers of Latvian and Lithuanian), who lived next to each other and interacted for many generations, came to believe that if you call the bear by his true name, he would hear and understand, and you would fail to catch him, or he would come to harm you. The bear was the only really dangerous animal in their woods. The original word artko was tabooed. Such beliefs about not calling prey and danger by their “true” names are not uncommon among hunters and people in general through the present.

And then there’s the etymology of the Arctic which basically means “the place of the bear” and Antarctica means the opposite of the place of the bear.

On the surface level, this makes for a rather literal and simplistic naming convention for the planetary poles. The Arctic, the place of the bear, has Polar Bears; Antarctica, the opposite of the place of the bear, does not have polar bears.

That all tracks. Until you remember that “bear” is just a placeholder name for That Big Furry Beast That We’re Too Scared To Mention. And so, the Arctic was technically named as the “place of the thing that shall not be named.” By extension, the name of Antarctica exists in direct reference to that signifier, which itself is a reference to something that shall not be named—literally, “the opposite of the place of the thing that shall not be named.”

I don’t know about you but I want to know what the bear’s real name is!

Bear related: the pizzly bear and Lil’ Nitro, the world’s hottest gummy bear

Zinesters of colour discuss the forgotten origins of their work

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Christine Fernando spoke to a group of zine-makers of colour for USA Today.

Zines have long been a way for marginalized communities to share stories, spread information, build community and organize movements, several archivists and zine-makers said. Often, they offer historical records of communities that have been ignored in other publications. But many zine-makers (“zinesters”) of color say their communities have only recently received credit and gained visibility for their contributions.

One of the interviewed zinesters described her feelings of isolation at zine events:

Marya Errin Jones said she’s often one of the only Black women at some zine festivals and events. White people often skip her table because “they assume my zines are only for Black and brown people or are about a topic they weren’t interested in or don’t want to talk about,” she said.

She added: “It’s always isolating. Sometimes you wonder, ‘What am I doing here?’”

The last time I went to Nottingham Contemporary, I spent a lot of time in their zine section, reading through the various DIY magazines and diaries that people left behind. They were unique and uncensored views into their lives and the groups they were part of. I loved them (I even emailed someone to compliment their work and took photos to read later.) It’s imperative that zinesters of colour get the love, space, and recognition they deserve and don’t get pushed out by the sanitised homogeny of the mainstream.

Jyni Ong on the Syrian Design Archive

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A Syrian Arab Airlines ticket with English and Arabic writing on it.

For It’s Nice That, Jyni Ong spoke with Kinda Ghannoum, Sally Alassafen and Hala Al Afsaa, founders of the Syrian Design Archive. The archive documents the vibrant graphics from the Arab world and celebrates one of the most popular writing systems in the world:

“Syria is a country of rich history and culture,” says Hala. “It is also a country with a broad range of cultural activities in modern history such as printing, journalism, theatre and art. Those factors put together, positively affected the graphic design practice in Syria and gave it a rich visual heritage.”

Jurassic Park (1993) in 4K Blu-ray vs 35mm film

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Jurassic Park (1993) 4K Blu-ray VS 35mm Film Scan

CNXToonami did a side by side comparison of Jurassic Park in 4K Blu-ray vs 35mm film. It’s a bit cliché to prefer the old to the new by default (like vinyl vs digital) but the 35mm version looks really good here in comparison. In another referenced clip in 35mm, you also get to see the CGI dinosaurs and they look more realistic in this style.

Not all films look good in 35mm and, of course, they’re not made for it either but this is an example of good quality in an older format. I’d be intrigued to see how Jurassic World: Dominion would look, although we might end up with an 8K version by then.

Scribble Fix drawing on black paper with POSCA Pens

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Drawing with POSCA PENS on BLACK PAPER!!!

Last August, Scribble Fix took on a challenge to draw with POSCA Pens on black paper. As a fan of POSCA Pens and art on black paper, this piqued my interest. The finished product is amazing and showcases the quality of the pens.

(This isn’t sponsored—I just love POSCA Pens. But if anyone from the company is reading, I’m open to a collaboration.)

Loungefly's Star Wars Boba Fett Cosplay Mini Backpack

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Loungefly's Star Wars Boba Fett Cosplay Mini Backpack

Be the coolest person in your galaxy with this official Boba Fett backpack. It comes with a stitched Boba Fett helmet design on the front, a Metal Mandalorian crest icon on the zip, and matching interior. What’s more, it’s vegan-friendly and measures around 9 inches wide and 11 inches tall.

Order it from Geekcore and Get Ready Comics

(h/t Star Wars Clube Portugal)

What kind of salt does Salt Bae use?

tl;dr: Salt Bae uses Maldon salt.

While not a burning question (it came up 3 times in the last 28 days), the phrase “what kind of salt does Salt Bae use?” came up in Google search data so I thought I’d answer it directly. My research lead me to an article called “In Defense of Salt Bae” by Daniela Galarza:

Salt Bae is the world’s newest celebrity chef, but with his internet fame, Gökçe has lost some of the credibility he earned while building his steakhouse empire in Turkey. What most of Gökçe’s fans and foes are missing is that, in spite of the distracting show (and ignoring the fickle whims of the Department of Health), Salt Bae’s salting technique is actually on point.

But further down, I got the answer I needed:

At his New York City restaurant, Gökçe pulls off his signature move using Maldon flakes. “He says salt is essential because it brings out flavor,” a spokesperson told Eater, “especially when finishing off meat.” Nusr-Et currently goes through at least five large buckets of pricey — but delicious — Maldon per week.

So there you have it: Salt Bae uses Maldon salt on his overpriced steaks. It’s a UK brand that’s hand harvesting and has been since 1882 according to their website. If you’re in the UK, you can buy it from Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Tesco (you can contact them for wholesale inquiries).

Salt Bae related: What knives does Salt Bae use?