Category Archives: Wonder Cabinets

Wonder Cabinets, Kunstkammer, Cabinets of curiosities, etc.

Jennifer Steen Booher: the wonder of found objects

Posted on November 29, 2013 by cicada

Seaglass Spectrum: Aquamarine to Emerald Jennifer Steen Booher Assemblage artist and photographer Jennifer Steen Booher collects, arranges, and photographs found objects.  Her arrays of beach glass resemble abstract art, or pages from illustrated catalogs of Renaissance wonder cabinets, while household … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Ephemera, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

Kate Lacour: challenging the Codex Seraphinianus in the category of surreal, faux-anatomical weirdness

Posted on October 10, 2013 by cicada

When Kate Lacour sent me a link to her tumblr, sharkbrains (subtitle: “Body horror beauty – art and comics”), I didn’t know quite what to expect. What I found was delightful – a modern successor to the Codex Seriphinianus.

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Blogs and Blogging, Ephemera, Medical Illustration and History, Uncategorized, Wonder Cabinets, Yikes! | Comments Off

A Murmuration of Cheese Balls: when nature enters the Uncanny Valley

Posted on August 19, 2012 by cicada

Murmuration, in addition to being a perfectly lovely word, also captures one of the most wonderful phenomena one can encounter in nature. Behold, one of the loveliest viral videos of recent years: Did you get goosebumps? Thomas Jackson’s series “Emergent … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Neuroscience, Science, Web 2.0, New Media, and Gadgets, Wonder Cabinets, Yikes! | Comments Off

BioE is so redundant right now

Posted on July 26, 2012 by cicada

Steam of Consciousness by Chris Conte (updated: look! I found a moving .gif on the artist’s website! It’s at the bottom of the post). It’s really amazing to me how mainstream anatomical art, steampunk, etc. has become in the past … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Blogs and Blogging, Medical Illustration and History, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

Have your wonder cabinet and eat it too!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by cicada

I’ve been spending too much time browsing etsy lately – it’s like windowshopping, only I don’t have to go out in the dismal drizzle that is Cambridge in March. One of the wonderful, fanciful shops I found is Andie’s Specialty … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Conspicuous consumption, Ephemera, Frivolity, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

Carnival of the Animals: holiday window wonder cabinets

Posted on December 27, 2011 by cicada

Bergdorf Goodman’s elaborate animal-themed holiday window displays rock my world: See more windows (huge images) at their blog. The last window in particular is Snow Queen-esque (think Narnia); the metal bird themed window seems very Yeatsian. Truly, upscale holiday window … Continue reading →

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Dresses patterned like wings

Posted on December 8, 2011 by cicada

From the archives at Trend De La Creme: pieces from Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 collection, “Plato’s Atlantis,” juxtaposed with moths. Critics described McQueen’s collection as reptilian: “short, reptile-patterned, digitally printed dresses, their gangly legs sunk in grotesque shoes that looked … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Design, Ephemera, Wearables, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

one-of-a-kind skeleton ring set

Posted on December 6, 2011 by cicada

This unique sterling silver skeleton ring set by Shannon Conrad consists of two rings – one a skeletal hand, the other a radius/ulna pair. Together they form a skeletal arm reaching across your hand! One of a kind ring, available … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Conspicuous consumption, Design, Medical Illustration and History, Wearables, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

The Bowes Silver Swan

Posted on January 16, 2008 by cicada

The Bowes Swan; silver fish detail from timetravel-Britain.com There is something primally captivating about the successful reproduction of life in art or technology. The Bowes Silver Swan is a wonderful example, dating back to the 18th century. To the accompaniment … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Museum Lust, Retrotechnology, Wonder Cabinets | 6 Comments

London: the Icky Tour

Posted on January 13, 2008 by cicada

Greenhouse, Chelsea Physic Garden As I file away the debris of the last year, I realize that I never finished posting about my week in London this summer. It was exhausting, but by no means exhaustive. I feel foolish that … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Destinations, Museum Lust, Science, Wonder Cabinets | 5 Comments