3d illusion arts: Oddity Central

Oddity Central

A Gap in Style – Front Teeth Removal Is Trendy among South African Youth
Beautiful Cyberpunk Collages Made with Discarded Computer Parts
Meet Jon Gnarr, By Far the Coolest Mayor in the World

A Gap in Style – Front Teeth Removal Is Trendy among South African Youth

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 02:27 AM PST

It's rare for fashion trends to last as long as 60 years. But this one tradition has never gone out of style among generations of youth in Cape Town and other regions of South Africa – dental modification. It sounds odd, but the South African youngsters actually like to sport toothless smiles, after getting their front teeth removed. Dressed mostly in baggy sweaters and caps drawn low over shiny sunglasses, the gummy smile is unique to these young South Africans who like to strike gangster poses. According to 21-year-old Yazeed Adams, "It is fashion, everyone has it." The trend is often referred to as the 'Cape Flats Smile'. The name comes from a populous neighborhood where this bizarre body modification is done by a large number of teens. But Jacqui Friedling of the University of Cape Town’s human biology department, who studied the phenomenon in 2003, says that she found fashion and peer pressure to be the main reasons for removing teeth, followed closely by medical reasons and gangsterisms. "It is the 'in' thing to do," she says. "It went through a wave, it was fashionable in my parents' time." True enough, the practice has been around for at least 60 years now. Traditionally, dental modification such as filling of teeth and ornamentation was found only in tribal people. In modern Cape Town, it is seen as a rite of passage for teenagers, most often from the poorer families. Some stories say that the tradition started from the fisherman, who couldn't communicate with each other on boats. So they created the 'gap whistle' as an effective means of communication. The men today feel their 'gaps' attract women, and vice versa.

Photo: Vice.com

Of course, it isn't always great to have a big gap where your teeth are supposed to be. Eating is going to be a terrible ordeal and formal occasions do call for a full smile. For times like these, dentures come to the rescue. It's funny to see that people in Cape Town go to the dentist to get their healthy teeth out and then get dentures from the same dentist. But that's exactly what happens. According to Rob Barry from the faculty of dentistry at the University of Western Cape, the frequency of teeth removal has increased even though practicing dentists are ethically barred from removing healthy teeth. "Almost every week I get some or other teenager in here wanting teeth out," he says. He himself has made thousands of partial dentures for people who need to make themselves look acceptable for work and other social occasions. In fact dentures have become fashion statements in themselves, as Friedling points out. Sometimes they are decorated with gold or bits of precious stone in various designs. "Here, it is a case of elevating themselves above the rest of their peers. The minute they can afford different sets of dentures, the idea is 'I am a bit better than you'," she says.

Photo: Lino Steenkamp

45-year-old Ronald de Villiers lost all his teeth when he got a set of gold dentures that infected the rest of his mouth, which is not that uncommon. His 11 and 14-year-old kids have already 'had theirs out' to look prettier. It isn't all that difficult to find a dentist to remove healthy teeth, he says. All it takes is a little extra money. Surprisingly, the practice is followed not only by the colored, but a few whites and Chinese living alongside the poor colored areas. A few years ago, studies were conducted and over 2000 people were interviewed. 41% of them had modified their teeth. About 45% were male. 42% claimed to be moved by peer pressure, while 10% removed their teeth for practices of gangsterism. Friedling says, "They said when they have gang fights they take people's teeth away, it is like taking a bit of their wealth away." Well, it figures. How would you break a man's teeth when he has none in the first place. Why, take away his dentures, of course!

Sources: The Telegraph, Vice, Metropolis TV

A Gap in Style – Front Teeth Removal Is Trendy among South African Youth was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Beautiful Cyberpunk Collages Made with Discarded Computer Parts

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 01:27 AM PST

I’ve always been a big fan of steampunk and cyberpunk art, and the beautiful collages of Anna Dabrowska, a.k.a. Finnabair, are some of the most intriguing works I’ve ever seen. The mixed media artist hailing from Warsaw, Poland, uses all kinds of materials, from used computer components to old buttons and even dead moths.

“I love texture and believe in power of recycling and upcycling. I just adore flea market supplies,” Finnabair says on her official site, and it shows in her works. The Polish artist can take the boring household item and turn into the centerpiece of an engaging work of art. Whether it’s metal screws, artificial flowers, or even plain buttons, she manages to turn recycling and upcycling into exciting artistic processes that spark viewers’ imagination. Finnabair says her art is more than just a job or hobby: "It gives me moments when I forget about the world, working hard [in my] head, hands translate, paint, stick… I cannot stop." Judging by the time and patience she needs to painstakingly place every single element in the right place and then paint the whole picture in vibrant colors, it’s obvious she pours her heart and soul into her art.

Source: Finnabair via Tech Graffiti

Beautiful Cyberpunk Collages Made with Discarded Computer Parts was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Meet Jon Gnarr, By Far the Coolest Mayor in the World

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:47 PM PST

The coolest mayor in the world never went to university, is an ex-taxi driver and used to be in a local punk rock band called 'Runny Nose' before he became a comedian and actor. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as Jon Gnarr is concerned, a man whose achievements in life are so bizarre that it is truly a wonder how he became the mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city and home to over half of the nation's population.

You'd think that a goofy guy has the chance to be President for the day only in the movies, but it seems in Reykjavik anything's possible. Jon Gnarr, who was diagnosed with severe mental retardation and ADHD as a child, started his own political party in 2010 after refusing to join up with any of the existing parties. Funny enough, he named his party 'The Best Party'. Simple, yet brilliant, isn't it? It had to be, because he won his very first election to the office of mayor with 34.7% of the popular vote. According to what Gnarr told the media, his first real challenge as a politician was deciding between the names 'The Best Party' and 'The Cool Party'. He ultimately settled for the first because it sounds dorkier, which was the vibe he was looking for. Called 'Besti Flokkurin' in the local language, the party is a motley group of artists, comedians and punk rockers, none of whom have had any prior experience in city-planning or politics. The only thing they did do well before the elections was record an Icelandic take on the Tina Turner song 'Simply the Best' and use it as their official campaign song. With lines like "We want a city that's cuddly and clean and cool," and "Tell the squatters in-charge that it's time to leave," the song was both silly and attention-grabbing at the same time. If the goofy mayor is to be believed, the city was being run by 'blathering loons' and it's no surprise at all that the Best Party won.

Photo: Roman Geraysmenko/Reykjavik.com

It's not just the song; some of the promises made by the Best Party were equally bizarre, such as free access to swimming pools and free towels for everyone, a Disney-land in the capital airport (as promised to a kindergarten class), a drug-free government by 2020, and listening more to women and old people. They vowed to stop corruption by participating in it openly (as opposed to the other 'secretly' corrupt parties). It looks like the people of Reykjavik were really desperate for a change, because Gnarr won the election last June and in the process, caught the attention of the international press. Pretty soon, a documentary movie called 'Gnarr' was made as well, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The movie is so transparent and blatantly honest that you have Gnarr making declarations like, "I have done strip tease in the largest gay club in New York." Everybody including director Gaukur Ulfarsson found his honestly refreshing. Fair enough, given that Iceland has been having its share of tough times. In the financial crisis of 2009, Iceland went from being one of the wealthiest nations in the world to a state close to ruin. And then in 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull eruption happened. I suppose Icelanders were badly in need of a few laughs when Gnarr stepped in. It didn't take long for all the laughter to translate into votes.

It may be shocking to others, but Gnarr's election isn't too much of a surprise for the Icelanders. They do have a reputation of having a very dark sense of humor. "If we see someone slipping, we'll laugh before we help," is what most Icelanders say about themselves. But some people attribute Gnarr's victory to his role as Georg Bjarnfreðarson in an extremely popular movie trilogy where he plays a hardcore Marxist and intense person who doesn't get along very well with the people around him. The movie supposedly beat Avatar at the local box office.

Well, whatever the reason for his election, Gnarr sure has caught the world's attention as one of the most unique politicians in history. How else would you describe a leader who refused to enter a coalition government with anyone who had not watched his favorite TV show (HBO's The Wire)? He is also being called a 'hands-on' politician while making changes to the city. "I have become this weird guy picking up rubbish on daily walks," reads one of his statuses on Facebook. He's also probably the only mayor in the world who doesn't hesitate to dress up like a drag queen at Gray Pride events, or to protest for the freedom of Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot. "Homophobia is not a phobia. They are not scared. They are just assholes," he declares in another status message. I suppose it's true that when the people really want you to be their leader, you can get away with pretty much anything. Anything.