ART OF THE ANCIENTS.

First two: Nubians. Third image: Egyptian women.

MORE DUNYA ATAY: "ANIMALBOOK."

A duck's quack doesn't echo. Hearspray. Rats can't vomit. These are just a few of Dunya Atay's latest wisdoms shared through her "animalbook" project, which was published last February.

Dunya's work is a dream. No really, it reminds me of what I can recall from my dreams. She somehow captures familiar subject matter amidst phrases, texts, and objects that may not relate but overlap one another for unknown reasons. I'm a huge fan. Animalbook and Dunya's other mixed media work can be found in her Behance portfolio.

Follow Dunya Atay on Twitter and Facebook for more updates and info.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR, 1932 - 2011.

She will be remembered only for great things.

RIP.

SPRINGTIME IN PARIS.

Parisian style is poppin' this spring! I'm impressed, the use of color in these photos is fantastic. Watch the video in full screen to catch all details.

Added: RIP Elizabeth Taylor.

CUT COPY NEEDS YOU NOW.

Cut Copy's new album Zonoscope is on fire, likely because it's summer for the bandmates and we're still scraping ice off of our waterproof boots. Either way, this music will make you forget about your arctic surroundings and break out the lawn chairs and Country Time. Needless to say, CAKE BATTER is excited to see these guys live in a couple of months.

"Need You Now" is the opening track of the album and the group's latest single. The music video is odd, so I didn't really watch it.

NECKBRACE, RATATAT ON CB PLAYLIST.

I know people found last summer's LP4 too predictable, and I know it's true. But I still enjoy this. Sue me.

FIRST LISTEN: THE SHOW GOES ON.

From Lupe Fiasco's upcoming LP Lasers. Miraculously, this man is able to make Modest Mouse-- a band I despise-- sound pretty good. Lupe's a cutie.

CAKE BATTER IS NOW CAKE-BATTER.COM

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

Welcome to CAKE-BATTER.COM.

VALENTINO SPRING 2011 CAMPAIGN.

“This is a very feminine, stylish campaign, with a light, playful twist that reveals the Spring 2011 collection’s airy atmosphere and captures the brand’s lifestyle.”

[Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli tell Style.com.]

Following a highly successful Spring 2011 RTW show, Valentino has revealed its campaign. Black and white, delicate, and feminine, the campaign photographs will feature top models Freja Beha Erichsen, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, and Julia Saner (Saner is photographed below). Valentino's spring pieces were a hit mainly because they showcased timeless style and beauty. I personally love the intricate ruffled pieces, the pops of solid red clothing, and the varied fabrics that still managed to be cohesive. The new ad's photos capture the collection well by simply trusting the beauty of natural light.

BRAZIL TO HOLD PALESTINE'S FIRST EMBASSY IN THE WEST.

After Brazil's historic recognition of the conflict-laden region, a Palestinian embassy is in the works.

Recap: Brazil and a number of other South American countries have publicly recognized Palestine within "pre-1967 borders." Israel has deemed this decision as "seriously harmful." America is mad, too (shocking). Meanwhile, the rest of the world is happy to see some sort of progress materialize. More information can be found in Al Jazeera's article.

[Sourced image contains an excerpt from Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza.]

HIROSHIMA BAGS.

I saw my friend with a Hiroshima bag and was mesmerized. Incredibly well made and gorgeous, soft leather texture. Needless to say I am jealous. Oh well.

[Source image from Hiroshima Singapore Facebook group, includes a bag from the latest Hiroshima spring/summer line.]

DUNYA ATAY: VISUAL GENIUS.

Word on the street is Turkish mixed media artist Dunya Atay is pretty incredible. CAKE BATTER agrees. According to Trendland,

“Dunya Atay does not use any glue, scissors or photoshop! The Istanbul based illustrator uses only ink and markers on various fashion magazines to create her beautiful art.”

I flipped through her portfolio and was in love with both her old and new work. Her older stuff has a cartoon-like quality to them, whereas her recent pieces contain a lot of the original magazine elements. It's cool viewing the natural progression, see for yourself.

[Source: Dunya's e-portfolio.]

ANDY WARHOL POLAROIDS.

History lesson: Andy Warhol photographed portraits of athletes and other public figures. Por ejemplo:

More importantly, Warhol photographed still-life images of shoes, perfumes... You know. The important things in life. This one's my personal favorite, likely because I am a fragrance junkie. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Today, hipsters across the world seek to shamelessly mimic Warhol's classic polaroid shots. They are lost young souls looking for a niche in the left-of-center arts. CAKE BATTER is here to tell hipsters: knock it off.

[Source: Trendland.]

RODARTE SPRING 2011 COLLECTION.

Metallics combine with vibrant florals and wood-like textures. Brilliant! Here are some of my favorite pieces from the Cali duo's collection.

[Images from nymag.com]

BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT-ELECT DILMA ROUSSEFF IS THE FIRST OF HER KIND.

Writes the New York Times:

Voters who supported her in São Paulo, where [Rousseff's opponent] Mr. Serra won, said Sunday that they were willing to look past her lack of experience. “If it were only about experience I would never vote for her,” said Denilson Quintino, 43, an electrician. “But she has a good team behind her. Today the country is much better off because of the Lula government. [Lula da Silva] did more for me than any other president.”

 [Source image: CBC News.]