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Art

Hyperrealistic Paintings of Vintage Summertime Kitsch

By Alison Nastasi on

We can practically feel the plastic lawn chairs sticking to the backs of our thighs while looking at the hyperrealistic paintings of Leah Giberson, an artist we discovered on Booooooom. Her fascination with suburban kitsch — Airstream trailers, boats, and other shiny middle-class trophies — may have developed since she was “raised by artists deep in the woods of New Hampshire.” Giberson’s attention to the reflections in the leisure behemoths and surrounding environment offers a quiet and curious narrative. Take a closer look in our gallery. … Read More

Fashion

Fandom Goes to the Beach: 10 Gloriously Geeky Swimsuits

By Julia Pugachevsky on

Now that spring break (and Spring Breakers!) is upon us, we’ve been fantasizing about the beach. What could be better than wading through the water with an air of calm gracing our once-fevered brow? Well, how about doing all of that with the uniform of a comic book heroine printed on our bikini? And what could be a more appropriate adornment for that bathing suit than the image of a favorite action-flick heartthrob? If you agree, click through for our roundup of gloriously nerdy swimwear. … Read More

Photography

Dreamy Photos Captured from an Underwater Perspective

By Alison Nastasi on

Submerged in silence, Canadian artist Laurel Johannesson takes photos of dreamy waterscapes — a liquid veil transforming the world above the water’s fragile surface. Mirrored images, reflections, and distorted figures reference memory and time. Johannesson also sees a “vulnerability to the imagery that hints at the equation between desire and voyeurism.” Even when displaying the work, she takes great care to alter our perception of the aquatic stills by printing them on metallic paper and laminating them with quarter-inch acrylic, maintaining their poetic distance and point of view. Visit our gallery of Johannesson’s fluid dreamscapes — spotted thanks to Design Boom — that were photographed while swimming in the Lido di Venezia in Italy. … Read More

Photography

Photos of State Fair Weirdness from the 1970s

By Alison Nastasi on

Kool-Aid pickles and fried food on sticks, wacky local traditions, and strange pageants and contests are just a few of the things that make state fairs everywhere fun, but sometimes weird experiences. They’re great places to people watch, which is exactly what photographer Joey Harrison did during the 1970s. The Michigan-based shutterbug took some fascinating snaps of visitors and workers at the Ionia Free Fair and other local festivals. Behold the awesome fashions, expressions, and awkwardness found amongst Harrison’s keen state fair pictures after the jump. For an event that’s supposed to be filled with fun, some of these people look hilariously miserable. … Read More

Film

Watch a Wonderful Short Film About Super Soaker Wars

By Emily Temple on

It’s officially hot out there, folks. Temperatures in New York City are expected to exceed 100 degrees today, and if you can’t bear to hole up in the air conditioning all day, may we suggest taking a cue from Super Soaker: The Thin Wet Line, this fantastic short film directed by Robert Larson and Nick Johansson: arm yourself with Super Soakers, scope out the neighborhood, make sacrifices and capture the enemy’s flag. Or, stay cool, watch the short after the jump, and join us in desperately wishing that someone would make it into a feature-length film. … Read More

Architecture

10 Unusual Hotels for Unconventional Summer Getaways

By Claire Cottrell on

A Backward Glance, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton’s gem of an autobiography is highbrow beach reading at its very best. In the memoir, she recalls time spent with her bff traveling buddy, Henry James, and quotes his arcadian proclamation, “summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Maybe so in the less than industrious heyday of inherited wealth, but in today’s world where most people work all day for a living, those two words just don’t have the same appeal as our two favorite words: summer getaway.

Like everyone else in our overworked and overheated city, rest and relaxation are all we can think about — especially on a hot Friday afternoon like this. In considering options for our celebrated summer respite, we thought we’d take a virtual gander to check out alternatives to the usual Hamptons summer share. From a treehouse where sloths join you for morning coffee to a giant sandcastle, click through to see some of the most unusual summer getaway destinations in the world. … Read More

Film

15 Unforgettable Summertime Coming-of-Age Movies

By Michelle Rafferty on

Because the summer is finally in full swing (and we’re still looking for new ways to discuss Moonrise Kingdom), we’ve rounded up some of our favorite films from the season notorious for oppressive family vacations, summer camp, post-grad crises, and extraterrestrial visits — all wonderful expositions for growing up. At the same time, some of our favorite coming-of-age films illustrate that brief window of having zero responsibility, suggesting that maybe it’s endless hours of conversation and neighborhood adventure with friends (or whoever’s house is in biking distance) that have the most profound effect on us.

But whatever the premise, we generally seem to enjoy these stories (even the terrible ones — thank you, TBS) because they evoke recognizable parts of ourselves, either making us extremely nostalgic or thankful for the periods we’ll never have to revisit. And they can help those of us still trying to grow up feel not so alone. You can click through to see what we’re talking about, and we hope that you’ll share the coming-of-age films you love most in the comments, because gosh, doesn’t all this talk of childhood have you feeling warm and sappy and like sharing? … Read More

Architecture

The Most Beautiful Outdoor Theaters in the World

By Claire Cottrell on

A Swedish proverb tells us that a life without love is like a year without summer. Who better, then, to comment on the joy of our favorite season than a country that experiences never-ending midsummer days when the sun never sets? The summer solstice is fast approaching, and our yearly anticipation of the sultry, dog days is reaching an all time high. Our plans for the inevitable rooftop gatherings are in place, our outdoor event lists have been made, and bathing suits and sun hats have been purchased. Summer fun, we’re ready for you.

In honor of the long, sun-drenched days ahead, we thought we’d take a look at some of the most amazing open-air play spaces in the world. From the largest natural amphitheater in America, surrounded by some of The West’s most perfect picnic spots, to stunning forest theaters to a stage jutting into the sea along the rugged coast of Cornwall, click through to check out showstopping outdoor stages that have us wishing summer would last forever. Nominate your local favorites in the comments below! … Read More

Pop Culture

10 Fictional Summer Camps We Wish We Could Go To

By Emily Temple on

[Editor's note: Your devoted Flavorwire team is taking Memorial Day off, but we've left you with some of our favorite summer-related features that you may have missed the first time around. This post originally ran May 21, 2011. Enjoy!]

Now that summer is tantalizingly close, we’re spending an unwholesome amount of time daydreaming about the summers of our childhood, when the possibilities were endless, the days stretched forever, and school was just an uncomfortable blip in the back of our brains. As adults, most of us will watch the bulk of our summer days from our office windows (if we’re lucky enough to have any), so we’ve put together a little wish fulfillment list of the fictional summer camps, complete with some helpful suggestions for how you can approximate each camp experience in the real world. … Read More

Architecture

Dreamy and Luxurious Beach House Hideaways

By Alison Nastasi on

For those of us who will be sweltering in our studio apartments during the long summer months fantasizing about a breezy ocean getaway, owning a beach house feels like an impossible dream. It might be, but we’re here to appeal to your inner daydreamer with a gallery of incredibly designed beach house retreats that impress with their unique architecture and intuitive connection to the sandy oceanscape. We were inspired to hit the shore after spotting an amazing house on Design You Trust. Visit it, and many other luxurious seaside villas, past the break. … Read More