En Derin

Would you like to use kind of soap? I wouldnt, i would create a huge collection of it because this isnt just soap its actually very beautiful and creative soap art!

Modern and creative soap designs from all over the world.

“This looks shopped. I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time”… This classic 4chan meme captures in one sentence the pomposity and ignorance of countless self-styled image critics. There’s a nugget of truth in that annoying meme, however – poor ’shops ARE obvious, even to 4channers. The better ones, on the other hand, can be mind-boggling. Here is a selection of great and notorious photoshopped images guaranteed to provoke wonder, amusement and eyestrain.

Beyond Imagery, Almost Imaginary

(images via: Oogle Tutorials, PSD TUTS+ and LunchoverIP)

Many works of photoshop art pump up the details in a source image to the point of sensory overload – and that’s a good thing. The selection above applies a little ’shop shock & awe, just enough to nudge the subject into that odd area just beyond reality.

How Swede It Is

(images via: Allt Eller Inget)

The cool thing about photoshopping, or digitally modifying photographs if we want to be technical about it, is that our brains naturally want to believe what our eyes are seeing. The content may be wrong but the look is right. Sweden’s Erik Johansson is a master of this technique, as the above montage and his other works clearly illustrate.

Little ‘Shop of Horrors

(images via: Session Magazine)

Like Erik Johannsson, Pierre Betielle is another expert photoshopper who feels he’s his own best subject. The French photo finagler takes the visual medium and forces it into extra-large territory, with we viewers along for the wild ride.

It’s Just A Paper Cut

(images via: Web Designer Depot, Instructables and WetCanvas!)

Incongruity in imagery – the above samples say it all. As scary as some of these images are, what’s more frightening is wondering who thought up the concepts, and why? The above set focuses on our hands, so sensitive to the slightest touch or the merest paper cut. Regarding the latter, welcome to what must be a New Order of pain… how does it feel?

2-for-1 Fail Combo

(images via: Osmoothie and The New York Times News Blog)

You can’t appreciate the good until you’ve seen the bad… An entire nation doesn’t put its foot in its mouth too often but the Islamic Republic of Iran isn’t just any nation – they’ve done it twice, thanks to a couple of ambitious yet amateurish photoshopped images that have received wide dissemination. The first, above, supposedly depicts 4 missiles launched in unison and many reputable news organizations rushed it to press. Not so fast, newsies – according to AFP, “The fourth missile (the one second from the right) has apparently been added in digital retouch to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test.” A missile fail and a photoshop fail, that’s today’s 2-for-1 special.

Rally? Not Really

(images via: Daily KOS and UPI)

Oops, they did it again. Iran’s serial president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is wildly popular in his home country: 62 percent of the voters can’t be wrong, right? Such a political rock star should have no trouble whatsoever in leading huge rallies, yet there’s trouble in Persepolis… not enough warm bodies in the background. Call in the Revolutionary Photoshop Brigade!

(images via: Daily KOS and UPI)

Unfortunately the powers that be must have grabbed some Mystery Shoppers instead of the expert ’shoppers they were looking for. The result just adds further fuel to the fire that’s swiftly burning away any residual legitimacy in those who pull the strings, er, hold the reins of power in Tehran.

Ve Vill Photoshop You!

(images via: Vogue)

The Persians have no monopoly on photoshop disasters. Slipshod ’shopping is so common, in fact, that someone put up a website – called Photoshop Disasters, if you must ask. Take the prime example above: “As a Russian,” says Natalia Vodianova, “I love drama.” Not to mention comedy, it would seem.

Pictures Worth 1000 Words

(images via: Worth 1000)

Now back to the good stuff. Best known for its popular photoshop contests, Worth 1000 has been amazing and amusing appreciators of fine photo manipulation since 2002. The site, founded by Avi Muchnick and Israel Derdik, runs a number of discussion forums that offer both experienced ’shoppers and newbies a valuable resource for tips and techniques. Unlike some other, more freewheeling forums, those at Worth 1000 are actively moderated and filtered providing a high degree of troll control.

RGGUARKUP… Gesundheit

(images via: Abduzeedo)

Portuguese digital artist Roberto Gamito, who goes under the nom de ’shoppe “rgquarkup”, is a rising star on the photoshop scene. Gamito’s compositions evoke an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that some may find romantic, others disturbing, and Goths a combination of both – in other words, perfection.

That’ll Be One Starbuck

(images via: Slashfilm)

How does one pay for a Vente Frappuccino at the cantina, anyway? With a Starbuck, of course! Mark Brooks whipped up this tasty bill, er, Darth, for the 2007 Star Wars Fan Days event. By the way, Mark, what do you think Lord Vader would do if he caught you counterfeiting Empire currency, hmm?

Hauser Goin’, Eh?

(images via: Damncoolpics)

Koen Hauser has racked up a significant body of work – with the emphasis on “body”. Hauser’s compositions resemble Motor Trend car cutaways, without the cars. What’s perhaps most odd is that his subjects look so calm and collected – while the rest of us are freaking out!

(images via: Damncoolpics)

Above are some other works by Hauser; no anatomical cutaways this time but certainly disturbing in their own right. Or wrong, as the case may be.

Tricks Of The Trade

(images via: Abduzeedo)

Wondering just how the masters of manipulation work their mojo? The above montage gives an inkling, care of Joan Charmant. A software engineer by day, Charmant twists reality by night: “I started photo montage in 2004, when I stumbled upon UFO pictures and wanted to see how hard it would have been to fake.” Not all that hard, if you’ve got the right software and an active imagination!

When filming horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies, set construction is often necessary to achieve a believable effect. But, some real-life locations are a surprisingly perfect fit even when the movie is set in the distant post-apocalyptic future or on another planet. From gritty abandoned power stations and mental hospitals to a town so impossibly perfect it played a film set, these 12 locations have played prominent roles in movies like ‘Terminator’, ‘12 Monkeys’ and ‘Resident Evil: Apocalypse’.

Danvers State Hospital, ‘Session 9′

(images via: Opacity)

Perhaps the most famous abandoned place in UK, <a href=”http://En Derin.com/2008/04/03/5-infamous-abandonments-used-in-famous-films-deserted-buildings-from-cult-classics-of-cinema/”>Danvers State Hospital served as a fittingly bleak, creepy setting for the 2001 horror movie ‘Session 9′. In an unusual twist, Danvers didn’t just stand in for a fictional asylum, but actually appeared as itself. The hospital was closed in 1992 but stood abandoned until its demolition in 2005. It was reportedly the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanitarium, which in turn inspired Arkham Asylum in the Batman comic book series.

Aldwych Tube Station, ‘V for Vendetta’

(image via: IGN, Wikimedia Commons)

Disused since 1994, the Aldwych Tube Station in London is relatively well preserved, making it an ideal location for film shoots. Built on the site of the Royal Stand Theatre, it opened in 1907 and was used as a public air-raid shelter during World War II. In the movie ‘V for Vendetta’, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, the Aldwych Tube Station acted as the setting for the final climactic scenes. Other films shot there include ‘Patriot Games’, ‘The Good Shepherd’ and ‘Atonement’.

Griffith Observatory, ‘Terminator’

(image via: James Cameron Online)

When a naked Arnold Schwarzenegger first emerged into the past to find Sarah Connor in 1984’s ‘Terminator’, it was in front of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California. It was also revisited in 2009’s ‘Terminator: Salvation’ as a ruin. The observatory, a popular tourist spot set against downtown LA, also appeared in Rebel Without a Cause, The People vs. Larry Flynt and the Transformers movie among many other films and television series.

Westport Power Generation Station, ‘12 Monkeys’

(images via: Urban Atrophy)

While many notable locations were used to film ‘12 Monkeys’, the creepiest was undoubtedly <a href=”http://En Derin.com/2008/04/03/5-infamous-abandonments-used-in-famous-films-deserted-buildings-from-cult-classics-of-cinema/”>Westport Power Generation Station, an abandoned power plant used to create some of the interior shots set in the post-apocalyptic future from which the movie’s protagonist, played by Bruce Willis, originates. Located in the Baltimore Bay, this power plant bore spray-painted “The Army” tags on its walls until its demolition.

Seaside Florida, ‘The Truman Show’

(image via: SeasideFL)

Truman Burbank lived in an impossibly perfect town, where picturesque little pastel houses with impeccably white picket fences and thriving rose bushes stood against a stunning ocean backdrop. And, though it played a film set in the movie ‘The Truman Show’, Seaside Florida is a very real place. It’s a master-planned community in the Florida Panhandle an is often cited as the first New Urbanist development.

Toronto City Hall, ‘Resident Evil: Apocalypse’

(images via: Joey DeVilla, Torontoist)

Toronto stands in as fictional Raccoon City in ‘Resident Evil: Apocalypse’, the second movie in a series based on a popular video game. Torontonians will recognize their home town in virtually every segment of the movie, from the Prince Edward Viaduct to Nathan Philips Square, where Toronto City Hall was nuked along with the rest of the city.

Frank Lloyd Wright Ennis House, ‘Blade Runner’

(images via: jplouis, architettura.supereva.com)

Not many pre-existing buildings could fit the dark, futuristic vibe of 1982 classic ‘Blade Runner’, but the Ennis House fit the bill perfectly. Designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Ennis House in north Los Angeles is constructed mostly of pre-cast concrete blocks with a design based on ancient Mayan temples. The blocks were cast to serve as a backdrop on a studio set for Deckard’s apartment.

The Stanley Hotel, ‘The Shining’

(images via: ecoan80)

On a sunny day, the bright white exterior of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado hardly seems like it could serve as inspiration for one of Stephen King’s greatest horror novels. But, it was during a stay there in the 1970s that King conceived of the basic idea for ‘The Shining’. The hotel is purportedly haunted, and King is said to have had some paranormal experiences during his stay. Contrary to popular belief, King did not write the novel while staying at the Stanley Hotel, nor was the Kubrick-directed film version of the story shot there – though parts of the 1997 television series were.

Battersea Power Station, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’

(images via: Wikimedia Commons)

At one time, the Battersea Power Station was a gleaming symbol of human progress. It’s Europe’s largest brick building and boasted a lavish, Art Deco interior that has since deteriorated significantly. It appeared in the Beatles’ movie Help! and is also pictured on the front of Pink Floyd’s album Animals. As the years wore on, the station fell into disuse, though it remained one of London’s most iconic landmarks. In addition to ‘Children of Men’, ‘Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life’, ‘MacGuyver’, ‘The Dark Knight’ and an episode of ‘LOST’, the Battersea Power Station was used as the external façade of the Victory Mansions in Michael Radford’s 1984 film adaptation of George Orwell’s novel, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’.

Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, ‘The Abyss’

(images via: Historic Decay)

Many of the scenes in science fiction thriller ‘The Abyss’ were filmed in eerie, claustrophobic underwater chambers at the Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant near Gaffney, South Carolina. Millions of gallons of water were brought in to fill existing unfinished structures on the site, making it the largest underwater movie set in the world. It was abandoned in 1983 after the Three Mile Island accident, but is now back under control of Duke Power and Southern Company, who plan to redevelop the site for one of the first new nuclear power plants in over 30 years.

Alnwick Castle, ‘Harry Potter’

(images via: johndal, zoewanamaker)

Children may never really be able to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Alnwick Castle in England stands in quite well for the younger set. The castle was featured as Hogwarts in the first two ‘Harry Potter’ films, most notably during the broomstick flying lesson scene and the scene in which Harry and Ron crash land the Weasley family flying car. Other locations that stood in for interior and exterior Hogwarts settings include Oxford University, Gloucester Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and Christ Church College.

Brandeis-Bardin Institute, Star Trek

(images via: memory-alpha.org, Universal Locations)

Trekkies will recall the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, a religious retreat in the hills above Simi Valley in Southern California, as Camp Khitomer in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country’ and Lore’s Borg compound in the ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ episodes ‘Descent’ and ‘Descent, Part II’. It was also the setting for Marilyn Manson’s video for ‘The Dope Show’ and appeared as the Rock & Roll History Museum in ‘Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny’.

On Thursday 25th June Black Rat Press will be hosting a book launch to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the legendary book Subway Art by Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant. In 1984 Thames and Hudson made the brave decision to publish a book of photographs of graffiti covered trains from New York subways. The original print run was limited to only 5000 copies. Subway Art has been in print ever since and the then little known scene which Martha and Henry documented has gone on to be an international phenomenon, in part thanks to the book itself. Black Rat Press are delighted to be hosting this event and that both Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant will be in London to attend the launch. The central pull out pages of Subway Art feature a train painted by legendary New York writer Blade. We are excited to announce that Blade will also be making his way to London this Thursday to attend the opening. For anyone interested in the history of graffiti this is a great opportunity to celebrate 25 years of its documentation and to meet some of this scenes legendary figures.
At the launch the gallery will be showing works by the Burning Candy Crew all of whom site Subway Art as one of the main reasons they started painting.

83 Rivington Street
London
EC2A 3AY

“The Jeepney’s roots lie in the World War ll Willys jeep surplus that provided an early postwar topless form of share-taxi transportation, soon enough acquiring a roof, stretching the back to accommodate more passengers, taking on colors and accessories. Even as the supply of Willy jeeps and alternative mother-vehicles became exhausted, it continued to spawn an industry and commerce of build-from-scratch jeepney production, providing the needs of the populace for an affordable means of transportation and all imaginable hauling needs.”

“Jeepney art is a combination of the “art of the accessory” and the “art of the color” applied on a basic canvas shell of galvanized metal or buffed and glimmering stainless steel. Accessories are, for the most part, decided or handpicked, altered or added on at the owner’s whim. The “art of the color” is usually applied by airbrush or sticker artists.”

See Pakistani Truck Art in an earlier post HERE.
See Japanese Dekotora Truck Art HERE.

Images & Text [VIA]