Michael Simon Toon

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Michael Simon Toon (born 12 March 1977) is an English photographer, filmmaker, designer and builder.

Contents

Short films

Toon has made two short films in the style of cinéma vérité which are globally recognised as serious inquiries into the nature of life:

Toon self-produced Thought Moments (2004) which examines microexpressions by slowing down footage of a wide range of individuals answering seemingly innocuous questions. Toon, a former Buddhist monk, [1] titled Thought Moments after the Buddhist term for the mental states we experience when a physical or mental object enters the mind. The film is part of the British Film Council's library. [2] It is also reproduced as coursework in neurolinguistic programming by students of psychology in several languages across the world. [3] [4] [5]

Toon co-produced Protocell Circus (2010). He edited, treated, subtitled and scored footage of protocells synthesised and filmed by Dr. Rachel Armstrong, Senior TED Fellow and then University College London teaching fellow. [6] [7] The film appears in numerous discussions on the origin of life in terms of synthetic biology. [8] It was exhibited in 2010 at Digital Art@Google NYC at the Chelsea Art Museum of Manhattan and at Synth-ethic: Art and Synthetic Biology Exhibition in 2011 at the Natural History Museum of Vienna, Austria. [9] [10]

Career

Toon demonstrates a modernist, form follows function methodology of design and build with an 'ultra-modern' aesthetic and emphasis on environmental design. [11] [12] [13]

Angels' House

Toon designed Angels' House, a 4,337 square foot energy efficient concept home in Weeford village, Lichfield of Staffordshire, England, which in 2008 sold for £2 million, then a record price for a single family home in Staffordshire, over twelve times the average. [14] Toon formed Case Study Construction, referencing the Case Study House Program of Santa Monica, California, which from 1945 to 1966 commissioned and published plans for ideal homes by major designers of the day including Charles Eames and Mies van der Rohe. Angels' House sold while in construction based on computer generated images of the finished project. [15]

Furniture

Toon has released four interior furnishing and architectural installation designs under the Si-Huis brand of the Los Angeles-based company California Design and Build, LLC. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ McGhie, Caroline (26 October 2002). "The rise of Modernist, eco-friendly home". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "Thought Moments". British Films Directory. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Ragodí, Prof. (19 November 2009). "Trabajo Psicología de 1er Trimestre El Bigote de Bernays". Blogspot. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Hakan, Mirac (18 March 2010). "Eye Accessing Cues". YouTube. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Thought Moments". YouTube. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Protocell Video by Michael Simon Toon." proto-futures: all things related protocell technology. Updated 27 October 2012.http://weheartprotocells.tumblr.com/post/34408108701/protovideo
  7. ↑ "Rachel Armstrong: Applied scientist, innovator." Speakers, Ted.com. (c) TED Conferencing LLC. Accessed 7-31-13. http://www.ted.com/speakers/rachel_armstrong.html
  8. ↑ Schmidt, Marcus. "Production of synthetic biology in science, media, film and art." Life Workshop. Presentations of the meeting of the German Ethics Council 2011. Berlin. (C) 2013 German Ethics Council. Page 36.https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mpg.de%2F7423611%2Fwerkstatt_leben_tagungsdokumentation.pdf
  9. ↑ "Digital Art@Google: We Write This To You From The Distant Future." 20 August – 22 October 2010. TheProjectRoom.org. http://theprojectroom.org/digitalartatgoogle2
  10. ↑ "Living Chemistry & A "Natural History" of Protocells." © Synth-ethic: Art and Synthetic Biology Exhibition 2013. 14.05 – 26 June 2011 in the Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria. Produced by Biofaction KG. Added 20 April 2011 21:09. http://www.biofaction.com/synth-ethic/?p=61 Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Concept home sold off-plan for £2m". Business Live. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Cannon Pendant Lamp Shade." Inspirations. Fab.com. Updated 2012. http://fab.com/inspiration/cannon-pendant-lamp-shade
  13. ↑ McGhie, Caroline. "The rise of Modernist, eco-friendly home." The Telegraph. Posted 26 October 2012. Accessed 8 August 2013. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/9611852/The-rise-of-the-Modernist-eco-friendly-home.html
  14. ↑ "House Prices in Staffordshire." RightMove.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices-in-Staffordshire.html
  15. ↑ Post, Birmingham (25 April 2008). "Concept home sold off-plan for £2m".
  16. ↑ "Si-Huis". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  17. ↑ "Si-Huis Bi-Plane Floor Lamp." Houzz.com. (C) 2013 Houzz Inc.http://www.houzz.com/photos/1082338/Si-Huis-Bi-Plane-Floor-Lamp-modern-floor-lamps-los-angeles
  18. ↑ "Bi-Plane Floor Lamp." Inspirations. Fab.com. Updated 2012. http://fab.com/inspiration/bi-plane-floor-lamp
  19. ↑ "So into this design on Fab! Cannon Pendant Lamp Shade #FabForAll". Fab.com.
  20. ↑ " Si-Huis Crane Lights, illuminated by other Si-Huis Crane Lights. Carbon fiber composite, polyester and rubber. Designed for the Philips Hue bulb. Design and build by MST." California Design and Build. Facebook Page. Posted 17 January 2013 8:04. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=600259969989975&set=a.600222599993712.154333.120894934593150&type=1
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