Given a love affair with both shipping container architecture and public art projects, support of Angus Vail and Julie Daugherty’s ArtBloc project is a given. The husband and wife team have begun construction of their first portable, multi-use facility in Far Rockaway, Queens. Made of two containers, ArtBloc is designed for variability, aiming to work equally well as both gallery space and performing arts stage. Working with architect Tim Steele, Vail and Daugherty the potential to both stack or arrange the two portions side by side has become a possibility.

Those interested in aiding in the ArtBloc production should visit the project’s KickStarter page. More information is also available at Inhabitat.

After the jump, view preliminary drawings of the finished ArtBloc

A cool mixing of art and science is happening in London. “GE and London’s National Gallery just unveiled an ecomaginative collaboration – an installation of Van Gogh’s famous A Wheatfield with Cypresses, made from over 8,000 living plants and on display on the western side of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The green doesn’t stop there: GE also contributed Jenbacher cogeneration heat and power enginesthat will help reduce the Gallery’s carbon footprint.”

Above is the Van Gogh painting that inspired the project. After the jump are images of the living plants that make up the ecomagination version.

A walk through the High Line Park in New York City, including an interview with Lauren Ross, curator and director of the High Line Art Programs and Vernissage.

“New York is a lot of work. is an edition of 1,000 real dollar bills emblazoned with a maxim, “New York is a lot of work.” The text is hand-imprinted with a high-gloss foil stamp.”

The above is the simple description of Reed Seifer’s presentation at The Armory Show. Seifer, known for massive scale public art initiatives, also handled all graphic art for The Armory Show itself.

Photography by Jacob Breinholt for Curated.

More images of Seifer’s installation after the jump.

Sunderland has received a terrific holiday gift from artist Charlie Davidson. My own love of public seating and street art are met by his “Streetwalk,” which finds a series of benches installed in Sunderland’s Sunniside area. These give the appearance of walking, and are also lit from underneath giving a warm look to them in dark winter afternoons.

More images of “Streetwalk,” via Contemporist, after the jump.

As part of Very Fun Park 2010, Friends with You created “Field of Dreams,” a spectacular public art installation on the facade of the Fubon Financial building in Taipei, Taiwan. The result is a massive mural that reaches high above street level. It will stand until Summer 2011.

More info at FWY.

The work in full glory after the jump.

curated mag - UAP + Ned Kahn to Create Kinetic Artwork for Brisbane Airport

ArchDaily reports on a recently announced project by Urban Art Projects and Ned Kahn for the Brisbane Airport. Together the artist and studio will create a kenetic art piece to cover the airports 8-story car park. Wind will power the movement of some 250,000 aluminum panels to create a ripple effect.

Examples of Kahn’s work are shown in a video after the jump – this should give a preview of what is to come in Brisbane.

Used to be bombing a train was a dangerous endeavour that brought bragging rights to graffiti writers world wide. We all know street art and graffiti have changed, and that interior train painting really has nothing to do with old school graffiti values.

However, one can’t help but be impressed with Million Dollar Design, of the Shop Around Collective, and their work to transform run down Amsterdam subway trains. The work is full, and lends a sense of magic to a daily commute (I imagine it would, anyway).

More images of the illustration/painting after the jump. Learn more here.

Christopher Glancy works as Curator of Projects for MNMNT Snowboards and BODEGA Wall Vinyl. Essentially, his task it to connect artists to these commercial ventures. Both companies share a similar interest in making art accessible and public.

Intrigued by Glancy’s work… and the range of his projects… I connected with him for a quick Q&A covering his background and his thoughts on the inherent epherality of snowboard graphics. Please find his responses after the jump.

For reference the above image is an example from BODEGA – explicitly its Mike Giant’s contribution to the vinyl art project.