"Peace is always beautiful" - Walt Whitman Humans really know how to commemorate their fallen and the incredible monuments dedicated to war stand as evidence. Seeing those, a few will probably say that death is beautiful but this article will continue the series and will focus ...

Tags: Architecture, History, Travel, Urban Images, Various by Pushkin - 10 Comments »

What comes to mind when someone mentions stuffed animals? For most of us words like 'cute' and 'cuddly' or maybe 'kids' and 'toys' come to mind. For these photographers and product designers, however, words like 'twisted' and 'disturbing' or even 'demented' and 'deranged' are perhaps more fitting. Some have explored the innards of these seemingly innocuous childhood toys (more or less literally) while others have had Blair Witch Project experiences with strange, spontaneous and surreal roadside stuffed animal 'art' installations.

Tags: Guerilla Action, Urban Art, Urban Images, Various by Urbanist - 10 Comments »

Hidden passages have a long history of appearing in fictional novels and films but an even richer past in reality dating back to Egyptian tombs passages for Christians to worship in hiding from Romans. Over the years hidden passages have been used to arrest kings and evacuate popes, hide shogun warriors, facilitate guerrilla fighters, enable drug smugglers and conceal serial killers. In recent times, however, many more modest individuals have created (or discovered) secret passages in ordinary everyday households and there are even companies dedicated to designing secret doors, rooms and passages in middle-class houses. In some cases the discovery of a secret room is a wonderful find but it can also be a twisted nightmare.

Tags: Architecture, Guerilla Action, Urban, Various by Urbanist - 28 Comments »

War monuments are in many ways the most captivating structures mankind creates. Perhaps they catch our attention because they symbolize our most violent moments or the extremes of victory and defeat that transcend everyday reality. Some of these structures commemorate turning points in history, wins and losses that changed the courses of countries or even entire continents. Others are simply awesome architectural designs worthy of appreciation in their own right. From around the world, here are twelve of the most memorable, unique and extraordinary war monuments and memorials in military history.

Tags: Architecture, History, Travel, Various by Pushkin - 9 Comments »

(Check out our complete collection of Subversive Marketing and Culture Jamming.) Guerilla marketing is often a risky business, skirting the edge of ethical (or even legal) acceptability. Some guerilla marketers who have crossed the line have caused everything from Olympic belly-flops to city-wide bomb scares and have been punished with anything from modest jail time to millions of dollars in fines. All the same, some of these are probably (secretly) considered successes because subsequent media attention to the debacles probably raised more awareness than the guerilla campaigns alone ever could have. Some guerilla marketing is even done to support good causes though much of it is created to line the pockets of giant corporations. Know of other great examples of guerilla marketing gone wrong? Be sure to list them below!

Tags: Graffiti, Guerilla Marketing, Urban Art, Various by Urbanist - 59 Comments »