TWO HUNDRED FIFTY.

It's so strange that it's June and it's cooled down so considerably. But we hope that it doesn't stop you from having a marvelous weekend, whatever your plans may be! And happy Pride Weekend! But just before you do, check out some of our Friday Favorites:

JEAN SHIN. This week we talked about Jean Shin's cool use of rolodex cards in her installation Carte Blanche. Shin's work is back again with her piece Transplanted Ornament. It's a collaboration with architect Brian Ripel using decorative metal removed from security gates. It's a featured installation, self-supported and of free-form construction, that you can find at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch.

WHY THE MET REMAINS COOLER THAN YOU. The Met is displaying a career retrospective of Leon Levinstein, a photographer whose work in black and white photography went completely under the radar. (His contemporaries include the infamous Diane Arbus.) It's called Hipsters, Hustlers, and Handball Players: Leon Levinstein's New York Photographs, 1950-1980 that feature forty-five rarely-before-seen photos by Levinstein. The show runs until October 17, 2010.

IT'S PAPER, REALLY. Honestly, I keep saying that I can't be surprised anymore - but wow, artist Luise Valdes has built an entire apartment and car from pizza boxes, carboard, paper, and paint. There are moments where there are parts of it that look, at a glance, to be entirely too really. There are other moments where I can think of nothing but A-Ha's "Take on Me" video. But take a look at the photos, they're kind of cool.

ARIK LEVY'S LUMINESCENCE. We love anybody who gets creative with their lighting and there's something undoubtedly cool about the play on intensity and reflection. Levy maintains an impressive list of disciplines, but is best known for his furniture design for global companies, installations, and limited editions. Levy's Luminescence between Fire & Ice is being showcased at the Santa Monica Museum of Art until August 21st.

PAPER AIRPLANES. I have such funny memories about paper airplanes, including one that involved a pseudo experiment with Zoe in the backyard with a stopwatch. Check out this art installation by Dawn Ng. She uses hundred of paper airplanes to recreate and orchestrate an intense wave of emotion, having the planes physically burst into a massive space. It's incredible.

GRAFFITI RESEARCH. This is the perfect example of when worlds collide. The Creators Project has an interview with James Powderly, part of Graffiti Research Lab who developed Eyewriter - technology that allows paralyzed artists to "write" graffiti. There's a video at the site as well!

PAUL HAYES. Paul Hayes is an installation artist that we found on flickr that has some really incredible pieces. This installation is called Cultivated Momentum and you should definitely take the time to comb through the photos. It's incredible.

SHEPHERD'S PIE. Montreal-based designers Thien and My Ta Trung's series Pâté Chinois is concept based around the beloved - and oh my god, one of my favorite dishes - Shepherd's Pie. Says My, "We were in the mood for happy furniture, less rigor and more flexibility. A shelving unit that evolves according to our frame of mind, a chair that transforms itself each season, a sofa that can take endless configurations and looks. In short, furniture that grows and change with time!"

SCALENE, RIGHT? To be honest, I have no fond memories of geometry in high school. Creepy teacher. Math in general. You name it. But this locket from Garnett is gorgeous - the scalene locket is a break from the traditional locket, hanging from a silver chain and you can wear it open or put anything inside the glass frame. For once, the scalene triangle doesn't make me shudder with horror.

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