My Modern Met

This collection of dramatic seascapes captures the striking power of nature as it collides with the fine art of photography. Created by Montauk, NY-based photographer Dalton Portella, the images are filled with a painterly quality that depicts the powerful force of the ocean during stormy weather. Dark, ominous clouds and streaks of lightning fill the sky while layers of texture blend sea and atmosphere together into one vibrantly colored palette.

As each storm rolls in, the ocean moves with violent force to create waves that curl up and crash down again in an instant. Portella captures those exciting moments with a single snap of his shutter, and viewers will almost feel the mist of the ocean water spraying up throughout the air. Portella explains, "With my art, I capture essence; the essence of places I've been, emotions I've felt, and the subjects I paint and…

No matter where you look, the streets of New York City are almost always filled with hundreds and thousands of people. But, in the 1960's, American photographer Duane Michals found the rare and quiet moments along back alleys, inside offices and shops, and riding in a subway car, where not a single person was in sight. The series, titled Empty New York, was inspired by the work of Eugene Atget, a brilliant photographer who led the way for documentary photography in Paris.

To create his series, Michals walked along the urban streets during very early Sunday morning hours when most of the city was still asleep. The absence of people in the photographs is as powerful as an image jammed packed with a crowd. Through his camera lens, Michals found the peaceful calm of the city and produced interesting narratives that redefine New York for viewers.

Michals once…

On a trip to Iceland, Spain-based photographer David Martin Castan worked primarily between dusk and dawn to capture breathtaking shots of the natural landscape bathed in spectacular colors. Iceland, which is home to roaring waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, magnificent volcanoes, and stunning ice caves, truly comes alive in Castan's gorgeous, nighttime scenes.

Ethereal colors light up the photographer's images, adding a sense of otherworldly beauty to the dramatic landscape. The eerie, green glow of an aurora borealis; the striking blue hues of an ice cave; the rosy, violet reflection of dawn on chunks of ice; golden rays from the setting sun illuminating an empty shore—Castan's photos perfectly capture the unearthly beauty of Iceland, inspiring a serious case of wanderlust in anyone who has not yet had the chance to witness the awe-inspiring wonders of the Land of Fire and…

Inspired by the elements that make up a teepee, designer Antony Gibbon created a multi-purpose structure that can be used as a retreat, an office, or even a hotel. He calls it The Nook, and this rustic cabin uses ancient building techniques in the development of its form. The louvered walls are paired with double-slatted glass doors and windows to create a natural, minimalist, and tranquil space.

The Nook’s construction features slatted wooden panels that are attached to the main frame. They are angled and layered to protect you from the outside elements, and all of the wood that’s used is native to its particular location. Additionally, reinforced angled glass fortifies the structure, and its transparent roof allows for rain and leaves to run off of it. These openings also provide ample natural light in the interior, and the high ceilings make The Nook feel large and…

Printed matter like news magazines, advertising campaigns, and comic books are just some of the raw materials used in Vik Muniz’s meticulously-crafted collages. The artist, who lives and works in both Rio de Janeiro and New York, takes irregularly-sized strips of paper and assembles the hundreds (if not thousands) of individual parts into one cohesive image.

Muniz depicts classic paintings from the 19th century by artists like Manet, Degas, and Van Gogh. The recomposed collages look painterly, and the torn pieces give the impression that they’re large, overlapping brush strokes. From far away you can tell what an image is of - a woman at a bar, ballerinas stretching, a starry landscape - but it’s up close that you’re able to marvel at all of the individual elements contained in the composition. We see fragments of faces, two letters of a headline, small animals, and much more…

Though a nutritionist by profession, Italian photographer Alessio Albi has a passion for expressing himself through incredibly atmospheric portraits. The Perugia resident captures stunning images of young women lost in the depths of their thoughts, whether they're surrounded by breathtaking natural landscapes outside or curled up in the shadowy depths of their homes.

Although Albi is not afraid to experiment with different settings, styles, and subjects, one element all of his photos have in common is the use of natural light. Rather than rely on bright studio lighting or the harsh glare of a flash unit, Albi lets natural light and shadows play off his models, resulting in beautifully moody images filled with softly subdued tones.

"I love natural light because it creates amazing shapes and volumes that I can’t obtain with artificial light," Albi says in an interview with…

New York-based, Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang is back with The Ninth Wave, his newest installation and solo exhibition in Shanghai. Reminiscent of his work last year, which consisted of 99 life-sized fake animals gathered around a watering hole, The Ninth Wave features a weathered fishing boat from Cai’s hometown of Quanzhou carrying 99 fabricated animals onboard. Artificial pandas, tigers, camels, and other beasts cling to the worn ship, appearing weary and seasick. The work, inspired by Ivan Aivazovsky’s 1850 painting of the same name, evokes the Biblical tale of Noah’s Ark in a grimmer light.

The fishing boat set sail on July 17, navigating along the Bund on the…

Going to the water park is a classic summer activity that’s perfect for a hot day. It’s hard to beat the water slide, which propels the rider down a track at rapid speeds and then dunks them in a clear, refreshing pool. But what does someone look like right before they hit the water? Iowa-based photographer Krista Long took her camera to the park and set it to capture the high-speed action. The results, a series appropriately called I Love Summer, are mesmerizing.

We see the same composition throughout her photos - a bright blue tube with an equally vibrant liquid below it. Each image features a rider who is about to make a giant splash. They are suspended in mid-air by sheets of water with the knowledge that they’ll hit the pool at any second. The participants,…

We have wheels for hamsters, so why not cats, too? The new product One Fast Cat has created just that. It’s a circular treadmill designed to help cats exercise and keep them entertained while indoors. A bored cat can be a destructive one, and this device provides constant access to something that’s both entertaining and beneficial to them. According to its inventors, field testing has shown that the wheel enhances the physical well-being of the feline and facilitates a relaxed demeanor.

One Fast Cat has a 48-inch diameter with a 10-inch wide running tread that provides plenty of space for a cat’s footing. Additionally, the surface is made from a closed cell EVA foam to prevent any claws from catching and allows them to run naturally. It’s lightweight with a sturdy stand that can easily move around your home and cleaned by wiping it down with a wet towel.

If you’re…

Tokyo-based nature and wildlife photographer Martin Bailey captures the otherworldly beauty of Antarctica in this captivating photo series. While the frozen continent is home to many seals and penguins, Bailey chose to photograph the sweeping landscape without any signs of life, instead focusing on the harsh and ethereal beauty of 1,000-year-old icebergs and glaciers.

With a gorgeous palette of pure white, icy blue, pale aqua, and deep cobalt, Bailey's stunning photos draw parallels between manmade civilizations and the isolated, natural allure of Antarctica. Towering, monolithic ice formations evoke the imagery of architectural forms like grand palaces, impenetrable fortresses, and even great pyramids. Resplendent in snow and ice, the frozen tundra's spellbinding beauty looks like something from a dream or another world.…

At first glance, this might look like a regular Hershey’s chocolate bar. But, upon closer inspection, we see that it’s not your ordinary candy. It’s actually a “Hirschy” bar and cleverly-designed resume by Matthew Hirsch. The front of the package is a play on both his and the food’s name, while the back lists his qualifications in place of the nutrition facts and ingredients.

Hirsch created this ingenious packaging in hopes of striking up a dialogue and giving potential employers an idea of his skill set. He’s used the “daily value percentage” to rank his abilities, wisely giving himself a 101% for motivation. Hirsch has also provided us with his educational background, contact information, and more; he’s made it all fit on the small wrapper without it feeling cluttered. The best part of the design might be the customizable “Thank you,” which changes based on who’s receiving the…

Many of us rely on digital clocks on computers or cell phones to determine the time of day but, with this gorgeous creation, German designer Meike Harde transforms that process into a more beautiful and meaningful experience. Time Is Dancing is a simple, round clock with a single ballerina on the front. The upper body and two legs are separate pieces that move and bend depending on the hour. As time ticks by, the minimalist design displays minutes and hours through the elegant movements of the dancer.

The ballerina is made out of acrylic glass while a wooden base hides the inner workings of the machine. The white background allows for the slightly transparent body to be easily visible while still maintaining a touch of delicacy. As the ballerina bends and twists depending on the hour, viewers will begin to appreciate the complexity of movements from such a…

Japanese artist Azuma Makoto has worked with bonsai trees in the past, but his newest botanical art project is out of this world—literally. On July 15, Makoto and his crew ventured to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to launch two objects into space: "Shiki 1," a 50-year-old white pine bonsai suspended from a metal frame, and an untitled arrangement of orchids, hydrangeas, lilies, irises, and other flowers.

To accomplish the mission, called Exobiotanica, Makoto collaborated with JP Aerospace, a volunteer-based organization that constructs and sends vessels into orbit. Working from the middle of the night until dawn, the team secured the plants to lightweight devices hanging from helium balloons. After attaching tracking devices, still cameras, and GoPro video cameras…

As part of National Geographic's Your Shot photo community, Japanese photographer Hidenobu Suzuki submitted the image above he calls Sleeping Giant. Taken after a heavy rainstorm, the photo shows Mount Fuji looming over Fujinomiya, a city located in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. Impressed by the beautiful colors he writes, "When I took the photos in a breathless silence, I had a strong feeling that the Earth was alive and had a soul."

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 meters (12,389 feet) tall. It's famous for its exceptionally symmetrical cone shape. An active volcano, the mountain last erupted about 300 years ago. About sixty miles southwest of Tokyo, it can be seen from that city on a clear day. Mount Fuji is a well-known symbol of Japan and has been featured on My Modern Met several times including most recently…

Tasked with the challenge of creating an environment inside an international shipping container for the 2013 Kobe Biennale, Japanese designers Masakazu Shirane and Saya Miyazaki created Wink Space, a mind-bendingly trippy tunnel similar to a giant kaleidoscope. The immersive installation was constructed with mirrors that formed a multi-faceted, reflective surface inside the shipping container, creating a breathtaking, psychedelic environment that could change completely as a person walked through it.

To create this prism-like, modular installation, the duo folded one giant mirror sheet like origami, then connected the 1,100 triangular panels with zippers. "We wanted to create the world’s first zipper architecture," Shirane says. "In other words, this polyhedron is completely connected by…

You might already be familiar with the term “glamping,” or glamorous camping that provides you with the conveniences of home while you’re in the wilderness. The Soul Box by the studio Allergutendinge does just this with their mobile, wooden shelter. You can immerse yourself in idyllic views of nature and sleep under a sturdy roof at the same time.

Soul Box is a minimalist, two-storey building that features a kitchen and bed on the lower floor with a viewing platform on the upper one. The bed is set at a mid-height and meant as both a place to sleep and a step towards the top. Once upstairs, the roof opens to let sunlight and a nice breeze in, allowing for peaceful contemplation. Likewise, the front of the structure also folds down to create a small patio.

Allergutendinge’s inspiration for Soul Box came from “the dream of Arcadia,” which is the idea of an…

Inspired by the light and colors of Los Angeles, artist Bradley Hankey used a combination of influences from photography and painting to develop these minimalist scenes. To produce each unique painting, a collection entitled #instalite #losangeles, Hankey first photographed around L.A. and then used digital filters to alter the light and to generate a vintage feel. The final, digitally manipulated image was then the foundation for his large, oil on wood panel paintings.

Hankey says, "I find this process rewarding—transforming a snapshot, something that took seconds to record and post online, into a painting, an older and more traditional medium that is much more involved."

In his work, the artist captured striking contrasts between telephone poles, palm trees, and buildings silhouetted against vibrantly colored skies. Rich gradients are…

California-based artist Crystal Morey explores the relationship between humans and nature with her intriguing ceramic sculptures of people encased in animals. Using delicate and emotive gesture, rich texture, and subdued tones, Morey carefully molds the figurative sculptures from clay, creating pieces that are both striking and thought-provoking.

With meditative poses and expressions, the hybrid figures contemplate the unknown future of the Earth and the impact of humans on the natural world. Many of the animals that Morey chooses—such as polar bears and blackbuck antelopes—are likely to become endangered soon, adding greater significance to her themes around environmental protection.

"Today every action has a reaction we can see: in climate change, de-forestation, ocean acidity, and the hunting of animals. All of these actions are causing havoc and leading us to…

While a lot of designers and architects might choose to have their practices centered in a bustling metropolis, UK-based architecture practice Invisible Studio took a different approach. They designed and built a timber structure in a forested area near Bath in England. Friends and neighbors were enlisted to help with the entire construction and utilized untreated and unseasoned logs that were sourced from the surrounding woodlands.

The gorgeous, secluded studio is nearly 600 square feet of office space that's elevated above an outdoor workshop area. To access the the upper level, there's a wood plank bridge that extends from the ground of an adjacent slope. Three exterior sides are wrapped in horizontally-banded wood boards that contrast a dark-colored base. The remaining side is enclosed with polycarbonate wall panels that let in generous amounts of natural…

A few months ago, we featured Italian graphic designer Andrea Minini's amazing minimalist illustration work, Animals in Moiré. So we were excited when he recently reached out to let us know about a continuation of the playful portraits, Animals in Moiré 2. To capture the essence of each living thing, Minini uses the blending tool in Illustrator to merge patterns of lines together and to magically generate all kinds of adorable animal portraits.

Each piece is a mesmerizing black and white vector illustration that relies on both positive and negative space to form the creative shapes. Thin and thick lines are filled with an energy that gracefully curves and bends to form the animals' shapes. Overlapping layers produce thicker, denser…