Picture of the Day: Selfie from the Top of Rio de Janeiro

SELFIE FROM THE TOP
OF RIO DE JANEIRO

Photograph by Lee Thompson / The Flash Pack
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During a visit to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro; Lee Thompson, founder of the Flash Pack travel company, was granted permission by the Brazilian tourist board to scale to the top of the statue for the ultimate selfie. The statue was under repair after a lightning storm and it took Thompson 25 minutes to climb to the top (through a set of narrow steps inside).

Cristo Redentor (Eng: Christ the Redeemer) is a statue of Jesus of Nazareth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 metres (31 ft) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. It weighs 635 tonnes (625 long,700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. The iconic statue is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and was constructed between 1922 and 1931. [source]

via The Flash Pack on Facebook

Picture of the Day: World’s Largest Stone Buddha

WORLD’S LARGEST STONE BUDDHA

Photograph by Ariel Steiner

The Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. [Source]

The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Luckily it was not damaged by the deadly 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Construction was started in 713, led by a Chinese monk named Haitong. After several delays, construction was completed by Haitong’s disciples in 803. At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue depicts a seated Maitreya Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. His shoulders are 28 metres wide and his smallest toenail is large enough to easily accommodate a seated person. [Source]

via Ariel Steiner on Wikimedia Commons

Someone Crocheted a Giant Sweater for this Mister Rogers Statue

Located near Heinz Field on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, is a large 10 ft bronze sculpture of Pennsylvania native, Mister Fred Rogers. The statue, created by artist Robert Berks, weighs about 4 tons and was dedicated on November 5, 2009. [Source]

Two years later, artist Alicia Kachmar crocheted a gigantic red cardigan sweater for the statue. The red cardigan was arguably Rogers’ most recognizable piece of clothing worn on his famous children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Alicia said the idea was started by the Outpost Journal, a not-for-profit art and design publication. Outpost had put out a request for capable crocheters in the area and Alicia answered the call.

In an interview with Misters Rogers & Me, Alicia explains:

“I worked during the day and then babysat until 11pm every night, so I would work on it after my ‘charge’ went to bed. I don’t even want to know how many hours it took! It took many many, skeins of yarn, and I actually crocheted with 3 strands of yarn together and a giant crochet hook… Because of the way the statue was made, with his arms against his legs, I couldn’t just ‘crochet a sweater’; it had to be done in panels and then sewn onto him. The part of the sweater that I am most proud of is the zipper–it’s a real zipper!”

If you’d like to see more crocheted artworks by Alicia be sure to check out her official website and Etsy store.

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Picture of the Day: Looking Up To Liberty

LOOKING UP TO LIBERTY

Photograph by Stefan Georgi

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Seen here is a unique view looking up the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France.

The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet.

For those interested, the Sifter recently published a post showcasing rare photos of the Statue of Liberty being built in 1883.

via Stefan Georgi on Flickr

Classic Statues Dressed in Modern-Day Clothes

http://www.behance.net/alexis-persani

In a series entitled /// Street stone ///, photographer Léo Caillard and retoucher Alexis Persani imagine what classic statues would look like if they were dressed in modern-day clothing.

Through meticulous digital photo manipulation, Persani is able to create the illusion that the statues are actually wearing clothes by achieving realistic lighting, shadows and textures. It’s a fun exploration that interestingly makes the statues appear more lifelike and relatable.

Alexis Persani | Léo Caillard

[via Preggit]