Camera lenses sliced down the middle, here & here. The engineering revealed inside is fascinating.

You can purchase the top-pictured Lecia Tri-Elmar-M cutaway model on ebay for $995US.

via notcot

Design 101: Putting Contrast in Context. For the Studiobanks blog, I wrote this broad, abstractionist introduction to contrast in graphic design. While I’m a little concerned that this is merely the subconscious result of one too many make-the-logo-bigger’s in my life, I enjoyed writing it. I attempted to be informative to readers who are not in advertising or graphic design, and maybe also a bit therapeutic for those professionals who are “beyond” such elementary principles.

As a child, I was fascinated by what would occur in that split-second after shutting off a tube television. While watching the screen, I would often catch a fleeting glimpse of such beautiful abstract colors and shapes; before my mind could even register what I had seen, they were gone. Immediately, I would turn the TV on and off again, trying to recreate the event with little success.

The imagery above, Luminant Point Arrays, is a series of work by photographer Stephan Tillmans, who has captured these very moments as the television picture dissipates. Tillmans describes his series as the following:

The television picture breaks down and creates a structure of light. The pictures refuse external reference and broach the issue of the difference between abstraction and concretion in photography. The breakdown of the television picture discribes the breakdown of the reference. The product is self-referential photography.

via swissmiss, but does it float

Some very captivating photography found in the 1970 book, Living Architecture: Islamic Indian, by Andreas Volwahsen.

via Designspiration

I just love these brilliant Anatomical Nesting Dolls by Stuntkid, illustrator Jason Levesque.

via Urban Taster, Designspiration

Wild Dog: Absolutely stunning work by illustrator Corinne Reid. Available to us mortals as both a print and a shirt.

Reid points out that the image is inspired by the story Wild Dog from the book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling. I’ve never read it, and my Google Fu turned up nothing; are any of you familiar enough with the story to offer a brief synopsis in the comments?

Swallowed By The Sea: Illustration by Tomer Hanuka for Newsweek. 

“As Japan reels from the tsunami, archeologists claim to have discovered the lost city of Atlantis, a fabled place built—like much of the world—in the crosshairs of nature.”

Art direction by Dirk Barnett. 

via 1983

The Sands of Time by London designer & illustrator, Aled Lewis.

Blinding Love are beautiful heart-shaped pendant lights made from blown glass, by Montreal designer Thien Ta Trung. The work was designed specifically for this week’s Toronto Made at Home show.

via @rogiervdheide

This isn’t the first time I’ve lusted for an ampersand, and it won’t be the last. Fantastic large wood Helvetica type for sale by Canadian vintage decor & furniture shop, Hindsvik. Yes, please.

via The Office Stylist (Thanks for pointing me here, Jason!)