the offbeat sessions

Shadowing Figures

2012-01-29T05:11:00.010-05:00

Francesca Woodman's photography embraces the ambiguity and curiosity of the strong reality of life. Fragmented and mysterious in its nature, her photographs depicts a strength of character, multiple emotions and cultural modernity of the hyper-individualistic woman. Rather than focusing so much on De-constructivism and taking instances out of context, Woodman evaluates the importance of superimposing the different levels of the real.

In other words, with each image comes a different, explicit slice of life -- a deeper look into her inner world.

Currently showing at SF Moma, Francesca Woodman's retrospective, Francesca Woodman 1958-1981, is a must see. The exhibition is accompanied by a beautiful catalog, which includes the images shown above. A delicate approach to self-study and theatrical representation of the female world. Click here to purchase the exhibition catalog online. Last day to view is February 20th.

Artist: Francesca Woodman | Exhibiting at SF MOMA

Threadless

2012-01-26T05:19:00.000-05:00

Check out this process based, behind the scenes video footage of Kvadrat Textile Field by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. For a solid month (Sept-Oct 2011), this temporary exhibition was showcased at Raphael Gallery at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

This installation piece entitled Textile Field is comprised of 13 shades of Kvadrat's Hallingdal fabric that are arranged in bands. As we can see, color is an essential aspect of the Bouroullecs' work, and Textile Field brings a totally different colour experience to the architectural space.

Artist: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

Another Layer

2011-12-19T08:40:00.002-05:00

This is pretty cool.

Looking Back: Moholy-Nagy

2011-12-18T12:40:00.008-05:00

A great collection of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's fascinating collage work. A blend of appropriation and reconstruction. I have to hand it to him, he is not your average professor at Bauhaus school's foundation course. I assume any of his students would believe so as well. Highly influenced by constructivism and a string advocate for the technology industry within the arts, the Hungarian-born painter and photographer built on the knowledge that exists around him. Throughout the years, he became one of the pioneering artists to master other fields including sculpture, printmaking and industrial design. Here are a few collage pieces he made during his time. A beautiful and inspiring experimentation of the simple act of cut and paste.

Artist: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

Faux-Industrial Drawers

2011-12-13T18:53:00.005-05:00

Seamless. These monolithic storage units, a.k.a Celato Drawers by R&D De Castelli for De Castelli is quite interesting. It did catch my attention, and that is quite unusual especially when it comes to the discussion of a chest of drawers. Count me out. Rather impossible. However, here I am, quite impressed and eating my own words. The model comes in three choices of material (and to an extent, color) including maestral copper, acid-etched iron and acid-etched brass; all of which will have birch wood construction inside too. Flip a coin!

Breaking Down Movement

2011-12-13T18:39:00.004-05:00

Super!

Artist: Katie Grinnan | Represented by Brennan & Griffin

The Employment

2011-12-13T16:15:00.003-05:00

El Empleo / The Employment from opusBou on Vimeo.

Winner of 102 international awards!

Direction: Santiago 'Bou' Grasso
Idea: Patricio Plaza
Animation: Santiago 'Bou' Grasso / Patricio Plaza
Titles design: Natalia Acosta
Production company: Opusbou

Website: opusbou.com.ar

Street Skiing

2011-12-12T10:54:00.003-05:00

This stunning video just gave me the chills. It is beautifully done, especially in terms of cinematography. I can't wait to see the whole thing! J.P. Auclair and Dave Mossop' directed this specific street segment from the award winning 70 minute feature film, "All I Can." This piece was shot in Trail, Rossland and Nelson at BC. All I can is a visual exploratory essay that compares and discusses the challenges of big mountain skiing to the challenges of global climate change. Shot on 6 continents over the course of two years with the world's best skiers.

Source: Sherpas Cinema

On a Wim

2011-12-07T22:40:00.009-05:00

Beyond his ability to reinvent himself, Wim Botha is what we can compare to as a magician of our time; one who knows how to pull tricks out his sleeves and hat at any given moment. His courageous and daring explorations across many disciplines is what makes him stand out amongst the constantly evolving art market we face today. It is no surprise that his work is celebrated for its meaningful and remarkable craft.

Wim Botha was born in 1974, graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1996, and currently lives in Cape Town. His achievements and honors include best artwork at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kinstefees in 2001, being named festival artist at the KKNK in 2003, sharing the first annual Tollman award with Churchill Madikida in 2003, and winning Standard Bank Young Artist award in 2005. His work was featured on major international and national exhibitions of African and South African contemporary Art.

Artist: Wim Botha

Shadow

2011-12-04T14:01:00.002-05:00

This is awesome! I'm digging Taichi Saotome's "Sword Dance and Shadowgraph" performance at The Galaxy Theater Tokyo. It was performed back in January 2011. So intense!

A New Way of Storytelling

2011-12-01T11:07:00.003-05:00

Taken from the Crumpled Memories series, 2010. Pencil and sumi ink on paper sculpture.

Artist Eun Hyung Kim explaines, "Folded lines on a crumpled surface provides for interesting story lines, as this visual format lies between sculpture and two-dimensional drawings. Viewers can travel around in the crumpled structure by following tiny clones that I have designed."

Artist: Eun Hyung Kim | Source: Daily Serving

Straight from the Press

2011-11-23T12:43:00.002-05:00

Jack Daniel's Does Letterpress from Aggrodesign on Vimeo.

Ah, love it I am always a straight up sucker for printed materials. Jack Daniels hits up the letterpress with Yee-Haw Industries.

Elegantly Twisted

2011-11-19T14:19:00.006-05:00

Dancers (and performers in general) have always been an interesting subject to all of us. Remember when Edgar Degas became fixated with ballerinas as subjects for numerous paintings and sculpture modeling? Or Orientalist painter Jean Leon Gerome portrayed the belly dancers, performers in the East? Well, the curiosity and fascination still exists today and have been translated into numerous of artworks across all medium. It may seem overdone, however, photographer Bertil Nilsson's portraits are stunning and worth looking into. He creates these captivating images and frames each of them in such a charming light. Beautiful color palette!

Not too long ago, Nilsson published a book called Undisclosed Circus. Click here to be directed to the book's website. You will be able to flip over some pages of the book and have a sneak peak.

Artist/Photographer: Bertil Nilsson

Psyched!

2011-11-19T14:01:00.005-05:00

The Ogami notebook collection by Officemilano are designed with sophistication and simplicity. The quotes are by Paolo Frello. This vintage inspired collection appears to be quite universal and highly desirable. Checkpoints!

Read more about it here.

Designed by Office Milano | Source: Wanken

Parigot

2011-11-19T13:49:00.004-05:00

parigot-animated short film from liok on Vimeo.

Parigot is a animated 3D short film that came out of the pure love and collaboration of five students at Ecole George Melìes. A very innovative film is set in the streets of Paris and of course, it is related to culinary! Humorous, fun and exciting. Love it.

Congratulations to Axel Digoix, Geoffrey Lerus, Mehdi Alavi, Alexandre Wolfromm, and Loïc Bramoullé for a memorable clip.

Source: Coca Colla

Metalmorphosis

2011-11-19T13:26:00.004-05:00

Metalmorphosis is a mirrored water fountain by Czech sculpture David Cerny that was constructed at the Whitehall Technology Park in Charlotte, North Carolina. The sculpture weighs approximately 14 tons, comprised form multiple layers of massive stainless steel that rotate 360 degrees. From time to time it will form a perfect image of a massive head.

The sculpture has its own live webcam where you can watch live feed of the sculpture's movements. Otherwise, check out the video above to see how it works.

Artist: David Cerny | Images via Flickr

On The Market?

2011-11-17T13:17:00.005-05:00

This made me smile and laugh during this gloomy, rainy day. Don't you find this hilarious and entertaining? Pure Fix Cycles recently unveiled their "Fixie" Table, which is literally screaming for the attention of hipsters out there who cannot wait to get their glow on. Yes, it is customizable in terms of color choices. Gosh.

I somehow do not mind the "Three Sixty" table proposed by Core 77. It is designed by Studio Mauerer Hendrichs and is being sold at The Future Perfect. At least it is on the humbler side, don't you agree?

Source: Core 77

Stitched Up

2011-11-17T13:05:00.004-05:00

A different take than your ordinary collage. They are sewn together!

Artist: Robert Hardgrave

Sculpting Sound

2011-11-17T12:19:00.007-05:00

Zimoun «Sculpting Sound» : The Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, USA from ZIMOUN on Vimeo.

Swiss artist Zimoun is currently enjoying the glorious space provided for him at the Ringling Museum of Art in Florida up until January 8th, 2012. Curated by Matthew McLendon, this grandeur exhibition showcases a multiplicity of sound throughout various installations. Sculpting Sound is his first inaugural solo exhibition in United States.

Zimoun ambitiously glorifies his work's unique and graceful soundscapes. Each piece evokes a natural artifice of sound performed by using simple mechanics such as mini motors, ping pong balls, cardboard boxes and wires, as well as repetitive structures that double up as their own amplification arena.

With that said, his sound sculptures and installations often uses multiples of the same prepared elements to examine the creation and degeneration of patterns.

As you can see in the video at the beginning of the post, his mechanized works reveals a complex relationship and interplay between the artificial and the organic. What is most striking is the different sound and intensity level of each motorized piece. With the level of transparency that Zimoun has given, the audience is able to further investigate and comprehend the construction of the work. Not to mention, it further increases our curiosity to rediscover the basic sounds that exists among us that we often ignore or fail to take note of.

If you get a chance, please go ahead and take a look at the various structures he has built on his personal Vimeo site. They are incredible and deserve to be shown at an institutional setting. One of my favorite installations to date is the exhibition at Contemporary Art Museum MNAC in Bucharest, Romania curated by Rekolective Bucharest. The structure and sound it made is subliminal. Click here to view.

Artist: Zimoun | Represented by Bitforms Gallery | Exhibiting at Ringling Museum of Art

Let's Try It on for Size

2011-11-17T11:45:00.007-05:00

Manoteca is a contemporary furniture design company that just makes you want to pull out all your hair, move to a new country, and re-settle. Yes, they are that amazing. Looking at their product line, the only thing that comes to my mind is that I should make enough money to get a big, spacious loft where I can redecorate, collect large-scale artwork and incorporate Manoteca's designs into my future, so-called dream house.

* Olmo - kitchen table *

In their own words, "Manoteca is a little house in a park, a lab where old and abandoned things are hosted among with recycled materials, reinvented and reassembled." Now if you've followed long enough you will know that that is what I am all about.

* Indoor - door table *

* Convivio (ch'i' solìa) - kitchen island *

Yes, a few years from now, my goal is to "adopt" one-of-a-kind pieces in a similar way to how they passionately adopted the everyday object into the concept (and production) of each design. To view the complete, limited edition collection click here.

Design: Manoteca | Source: G Blog

Along Came Polly

2011-11-17T10:05:00.014-05:00

Polly Borland was given her first camera, a Nikkor, by her father at the age of 16. In an article written by Will Self for The Independent back in 2008, she explains, "I saw the work of Diane Arbus and Weegee--and a little bit later an exhibition of Larry Clark's work. There were these photographs of kids on the edge, shooting up--dressing up. They were just tacked to the walls with drawing pins. I knew then that that was what I wanted to do."

Borland pushes boundaries with her odd yet strikingly beautiful photographs. Her work is very edgy and different from other portrait photographers in which she explores the surreal and abstract. It is quite a bizarre collection of images that is undoubtedly suggestive. The models pose in awkward positions, bare naked or are dressed in odd 'stage-like costumes' and incongruous props such as tights and wigs. Here is a fun fact. She designed most of these provocative costumes herself, stitched by prisoners!

The Australian-born photographer (a.k.a. 'snapper' in her own terms) is currently based out of London, a place she refers to now as home. She came to the UK in 1989, building up a reputation as a maker of excitingly fresh, yet disturbing images. Her work is oddly appealing to an extent that it screams ambiguity. You are never quite sure what it is or what she intends on implying, but I find it quite fascinating that the identity of the models are undisclosed. Undergoing such performance-like process, she distorts the bodies of its subjects--creating images that are both evocative and disconcerting. As disturbing as it may sound and despite highly judgmental viewers out there, her extraordinary portraits are never explicit. Yes, it is intimate, however, they evoke vulnerability and are curiously non-judgmental and honest.

Sure, some of the images may appear disturbing, fetishized or highly sexual, but strangely enough the way they are photographed is very theatrical. I find it disheartening when I hear that people do not appreciate her unique vision that goes beyond the regular, everyday portraits we often come across. After all, she is, I believe one of the most sought after photographers. One must give her credit for taking these highly playful photographs, exploring the grotesque and the beautiful. Moreover, I agree with Will Self that I too, personally find that her series, Babies, Bunny and most recently Smudge (produced in 2011) are considerably her finest pieces.

Salute to her astonishing achievement!

Artist/Photographer: Polly Borland | Represented by Paul Kasmin Gallery

Anthrophomorsis

2011-11-17T09:20:00.006-05:00

Michael Stevenson was born in 1965 in Inglewood, New Zealand. His path has lead him to pursue his artistic journey and settle in Berlin, Germany where he now has his studio. Stevenson is an accomplished artist, blessed with talent that ranges across various mediums including drawing, sculpture and video. In many of his works, he has yet brought these different disciplines together to create sophisticated installations that in turn present documentary and physical events in which illustrate his theories. Allowing the work to speak for itself, the artist leaves plenty of room for interpretation--placing the viewer in an uncertain position throughout the experience. Yet, it is this knowledge gap that keeps us wanting more. We are often left with our own unique (perhaps scholarly) brains to negotiate his complex web of fact and fiction.

Michael Stevenson's work often investigates legends surrounding controversial events that took place in the art world. Long been exercised by intricate metaphorics, he has often been referred to as an 'anthropologist of the Avant-garde.' In fact, his work invents a new level of alternate channels through which the flow of economics, history and the art market are set to follow devious courses. Stevenson, in spirit of a conspiracy-theorist, proposes carefully constructed yet odd relationship formed between such legends and historical events. On close inspection, the objects used in his sculptural installations turn out to be, materially, wholly in excess of their apparent documentary function.

A large chunk of his work was recently exhibited for a couple of months at Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia. To be forwarded to the microsite or to learn more about his various medium of work, click here.

Artist: Michael Stevenson | Represented by Darrenk Night Gallery

Unwind

2011-11-16T16:26:00.003-05:00

* Kamin und Spiegel, 2005, c-print, edition 10 *

Artist/Photographer: Olaf Martens | Source: Cokkie Snoei

Just a Thought

2011-11-16T15:47:00.003-05:00

This is completely random, but have you ever thought what it would be like combining yoga and breakdancing? Who would have guessed this young man could throw some moves that makes you reassess the authenticity of his performance. Watch him as he takes you into a casual spin, one step at a time.

Break ton Neck from Alex Yde on Vimeo.

Source: Better Than Never

What's In a Box?

2011-11-16T14:53:00.007-05:00

Jim Doran is one magnificent artist that has a unique ability to create the tiniest sculptures that fit into your pocket! Utilizing materials as simple as pen/ink and paper cut-outs, Doran constructs these thought-provoking dioramas based on his fascination of the positive environment around him.

As a creative pursuit, his goal is to give life to his art within our three dimensional world. Below you will see the level of intricacy of Doran's work.

Jim Doran is a self-taught, outsider artist. He mostly creates work in his spare time, when not web-designing, working on video projects or teaching at Community College of Baltimore County. He currently works and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

To learn more about the process, visit Jim Doran's website here.

Artist: Jim Doran | Source: Offbeat Earth

Introducing...

2011-11-16T13:36:00.010-05:00

* Lila Al-Amoudi (UAE) *

I know I just posted about partnership and sponsorship earlier today and a couple posts ago, I did talk about hats--female hats to be exact. However, hear me out. It may not be wearable and you probably wouldn't see a stranger rocking it down the streets during your commute. One thing for sure is that looking at what our generation have come up with for this particular project will make your heart skip a beat. It is practically the familiar "thinking-outside-of-the-box" on steroids. It's so fresh!

The New Era Introducing Project is a global creative project that introduces the creative minds of tomorrow. The video below will explain the project from the participants' point of view, later on at the end of the post, you will find the brand's perspective.

Lina Al-Amoudi from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates has just been announced as the winner of New Era's Introducing competition. Aimed at art and design students, the participants were asked to create a unique piece of art using the iconic 59FIFTY baseball cap. The hook is a promising £10,000 prize to further the winner's professional career or creative endeavors.

* Craig (UK) *

* Lobulo (Spain) *

* Pol (Spain) *

* Wilson Kalanzi (Sweden)

* Matt Saunders (UK) *

23 year-old Al-Amoudi will be using the bursary to help her on her journey to obtain an MA in Communication Design at Central Saint Martins. The triumphed design is heavily influenced by the tale of Queen of Sheba, illustrating Her Majesty's leadership of the Sabaen Kingdom. The piece consists of four intricately-carved and interlocking pieces of wood. It is very delicate in its form and as fragile looking as those pieces shown at an institutional setting.

* Manuel Franchini (Italy) *

* Cheval (France) *

* Damien Nicolau Guillaumet (France) *

* Francesco Nappa (Italy)

The competition was created with The Tailor of Shoreditch and designs have been submitted from eight participating countries including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UAE and South Africa. Along with a select number of entries from all eight participating countries, the winning design will participate in a touring exhibition, which inaugurated in London sometime last week.

Just like my previous post on Red Stripe, this is yet another brilliant example of a well-known brand using its influence to support the artists of tomorrow. Now, the above video explains to you the project from the company's perspective. New Era EMEA's marketing director, Wayne Best explained, "New Era Introducing is a platform for self-expression and strong reflection of our brand DNA. We have built our brand by focusing on customization and collaboration and the opportunity to work on a project with young creative minds of tomorrow is incredibly exciting." I personally am charmed by New Era's drive to align itself with the artistic community and engaging with its consumer in its most rare and credible form. Cheers to that!

Click here to view the solid work of all 80 finalists.

Source: Complex Magazine and Contagious Magazine

Do The What Not

2011-11-16T12:33:00.007-05:00

Yuri Suzuki, an artist known for his integration of art, music and technology has teamed up with Red Stripe for a project titled "Make Something From Nothing." The title explains it all, embracing his ability to turn everyday objects into something completely different. However, one may ask, what does this beer company have to do with this DIY aesthetic? It is simple mathematics. With the tremendous support, supply and sponsorship of Red Stripe, Suzuki and collaborator Mathew Kneebone were able to create this extraordinary lager-can sound sculpture as part of the company's Make Something From Nothing Project, commissioning cutting edge creatives to make work which reflects the DIY culture of Red Stripe's Jamaican roots.

What makes the entire project even more attractive, in my opinion, is the fact that Suzuki worked in his Stockholm studio while Mathew completed his part back home in Australia. Undoubtedly, Skype does facilitate and make something impossible to extremely plausible. These two creative heads joined forces to make the concept into reality through improvising, construction and most importantly, turning full attention to the aesthetics.

The finalized form of the sculpture may seem familiar to some, but for those who can't put their fingers on it, the duo took inspiration from the towering, bass-driven stereo systems that provide much of the rhythm of Jamaican street life. In the pictures as well as the video, you will find that the functioning sound sculpture also incorporates turntables and speakers made out of thousands of Red Stripe cans. Of course, these cans were not produced especially for this particular project, rather, it is the result of recollecting used cans through the Notting Hill Carnival.

Not to worry, for those who missed the opportunity in participating the drinking festivity, Red Stripe has organized an event to premier this creation at The Village Underground in London, showcasing a handful of different artists. Mark your calendar: November 16th. The multi-faceted venue itself is a very dynamic and community-driven, filled with many exciting art, music and cultural events that one could possibly handle. Guests on the night are Ben UFO, MC Chunky, All Fingers and Spencer, as well as DJ and founder of Glaswegian record label. As Hypebeast mentions, "Some of the freshest names in dubstep will be playing live sets through Suzuki's unique sound system."

To find out more about Red Stripe and their current/upcoming projects, click here.

Artist: Yuri Suzuki | Source: Hypebeast and Dazed Digital

Flip-Book

2011-11-15T19:04:00.003-05:00

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

I am blown away. This motion reel is so engaging. Singaporean print and illustration artist, Serene Teh did not know what she was in for when she made this. Judging from the comments and amount of hits it got, the video lead her to so many great gigs I am sure. As a die-hard fan of illustrations, I too quickly fell in love with her illustrated book project entitled Keep Out. Check it out.

Artist: Serene Teh

A New Angle

2011-11-15T08:35:00.012-05:00

No, these are not done in photoshop. Pictured above (and below) are few astonishing work samples from Japanese artist Yamashita Kumi. Kumi received her BFA with honors from Cornish College of Arts in Washington in 1994. Throughout the years in Washington, Kumi received several awards including Betty Bowen Art Award Special Recognition, GAP Award and King County Art Commission Special Project Grant. It was in 1999 that Kumi received her MFA from Glasgow School of Art, which lead to the participation in the first group exhibition at Trace, Liverpool Biennale.

Yamashita Kumi's work is what we can describe as a mind-twisting shift of perception. She focuses on shadow pictures created by bright light cast at an oblique angle across various relief materials attached to the walls. In most cases, one will find elusive images from unexpected means that have no obvious visual relationships to the results. It is strikingly beautiful and most importantly, you learn to appreciate irregular forms, considering how the shadow images are created by the angle of light and the distance of the image from the shadow-making form.

To help you envision her work further, I am including this "Shadow Dialogue" video I found online.

Yamashita Kumi lives and works in New York City.

Artist: Yamashita Kumi

Against The Grain

2011-11-15T07:21:00.003-05:00

Hudson - Against The Grain from Dropbear on Vimeo.

This is a great stop motion video for the Australian band Hudson, created by Jonathan Chong. A brilliant piece of work!

Artist: Jonathan Chong

Cracked

2011-11-14T22:57:00.003-05:00

These lamps are awesome.

Artist/Designer: Duncan Meerding

HATS: An Anthology

2011-11-14T19:06:00.013-05:00

* Graham Smith, Pirelli Tire, London, 1985 *

Currently on view at Bard Graduate Center's Main Gallery and Focus Gallery is the marvelous exhibition, Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones. Presented by The Decorative Arts, Design History and Material Culture Department at BGC, this traveling exhibition is a collaboration between the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and Stephen Jone s, the world's celebrated hat designer. However, the exhibition is slightly different to the British counterpart as it showcases several hats exclusive to the Bard show, including Babe Ruth's baseball cap and President Roosevelt's top hat.

* James Wedge (left) and Caroline Reboux (right) *

* Stephen Jones (left) and Phillip Treacy (right) *

* Turban from India (left) and Bonnet from England (right) *

*Marshall and Snelgrove (left) and Phillip Treacy for Rifat Ozbek (right) *

* Caroline Reboux (left) and Paulette (right) *

* Silk and Straw Bonnet from England (left) and Michael of Lachasse (right) *

* Cristóbal Balenciaga (left) and Givenchy (right) *

* Quilted Cap from India *

Drawing on the museum's extensive collection of hats, Stephen Jones' own archive and iconic headgear from around the globe, this exhibition beautifully examines the decadent, eclectic and extravagant pieces. The exhibition displays more than 250 hats chosen with the expert eye of the master milliner, which includes twelfth century Egyptian fez to a 1950s Balenciaga hat and couture creations by Jones and his contemporaries.

* Exhibition views. Source: The Cut *

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones is divided into several sections: Inspiration, Creation, The Salon, and The Client. Each section respectively evokes the practice of creating hats, how they are worn, by whom and how they are presented to the client. The exhibition also features a selection of archive film footage plus a film showing a couture hat being made in Jones' atelier.

For more information on Stephen Jones or to be routed to the exhibition website, click here.

A Million Faces

2011-11-14T17:58:00.006-05:00

Thierry Despont is what you call an architect, artist and scholar. His bold pursuits of authenticity, both in methods and materials of construction, fully extends his skills learned at École Nationale Superiéure des Beaux Arts in Paris (and Urban Planning graduate degree from Harvard University).

This Limoges-born architect has often portrayed by the design press as a decorator rather than a master architect. However, what is most attractive is his artwork, advocating that of the antique and classical traditions. Pictured above are several examples of his distinguished masks series that I adore.

As you can see, these mysterious masks are constructed from collections of discarded relics from the industrial era. He transforms old workshop tools and fragments of found machinery and farming equipment into fantastic assemblages of contemporary masks. Most of the scraps are flea market and vintage finds from foreign shops that he came across throughout his travels. Nevertheless, these objects directly translate to Despont's aesthetics and to an extent, act as Despont's most eloquent ambassadors.

Artist: Thierry Despont | Represented by Marlborough Gallery

Smoke and Mirrors

2011-11-14T16:44:00.009-05:00

Some of you may know Maarten Baas's work as part of and adding on to Ian Schrager's Gramercy Park Hotel. He was a part of the design team who also supplied some of his special Smoke and Clay pieces for the hotel. This particular series, Smoke, is considered by museums, critics, collectors and the design-informed individuals as an iconic collection within the contemporary design world. The famed series have also been adopted and reproduced by Marcel Wanders' international design company MOOOI.

* Smoke series production process *

* Other examples of Smoke series *

* Smoke series. Commissioned work for Gramercy Park Hotel, Groniger Museum and private client in Chicago *

* Examples of Clay series *

For those who are unfamiliar, Dutch designer Maarten Baas was born in Arnsberg, Germany but moved to The Netherlands in 1979, where he attended the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. His works have exhibited in Musée Les Arts Decoratif, Victoria and Albert Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Moss New York. The success of his unique line of work not only lead to commission projects such as Groniger Museum but also acquisitions for the private collections of Lidewij Edelkoort and Phillipe Starck.

Artist/Designer: Maarten Baas

Khoi Vinh: On the Grid

2011-11-14T15:11:00.002-05:00

Stumbled upon this up-close-and-personal interview session Khoi Vinh, former Design Director of NYTimes.com. In this video, he discusses with {inspirare} the subject that makes his work exceptional and most noteworthy: the grid. Here we will find ourselves engaged in the conversation regarding Khoi Vinh's first interest in the field of design, plans for the future, and most importantly, the grid's complex relationship with human emotions.

Vanishing Point

2011-10-07T13:12:00.007-04:00

Navigating us into an array of places throughout China, Bolivia, northern Canada and Iceland, Scarlett Hooft Graafland describes the pristine beauty of nature through her photographs. She carefully chooses each location to evoke notions of spirituality: reflection, peace and serenity.

Subtle and cleverly executed, Graafland combines performance, installation and photography into one flawless composition. I am completely blown away by her ability to accentuate (as well as manipulate) the charming aspects of "emptiness." Nonetheless, as you can see in many of her images, she understands how to work with extreme climate situations within each the location. She highlights miniscule details that, one way or another, acts as a significant centerpiece or a unique characteristic that attracts the naked eye.

Scarlett Hooft Graafland is currently exhibiting at Museum Huis Voor Photographie in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is represented by Michael Hoppen Contemporary Art, London and Vous Etes Ici, Amsterdam.

Artist: Scarlett Hooft Graafland

Fashion Files

2011-09-28T11:15:00.005-04:00

Stumbled upon a couple of images while tumbling around. I love the dynamic photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Mert and Marcus are celebrated for their devotion, skills and accomplishments in the fashion industry. Their editorial work is commonly found in fashion spreads throughout big publications such as W, Vogue, Interview and many more.

These specific ones are scans from some of their older work published in W Magazine sometime 2005 and 2006.

Recently, they also started experimenting with video production, creating this clip for Love Magazine FW 11/12.

Artist/Photographer: Mert & Marcus | Represented by Art Partner

Alphabet City

2011-09-28T09:00:00.003-04:00

A charming short animation film by Alessandro Novelli, from the Italian, multidisciplinary design firm, n9ve. Just a couple of days ago, n9ve released and published the video online for its admirers to look into. It is the second video to the great Alphabet Series that I adore and follow. His short films are very inspiring and a lot of fun. I will get to that in a few seconds, but first, I must introduce his first Alphabet video that was produced sometime in 2010. In this older piece, he focuses on animating the names and look of each font family by presenting, and sorting them according their initial letter. Novelli's work is very crisp and clean--the simplicity of it is what makes it timeless (and effortless).

The Alphabet from n9ve on Vimeo.

The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.

Of course, similar to the first, the second piece is also presented in alphabetical order. The difference is what they refer to as "developmental spelling," in which each character visually represents the meaning of the word itself. Here, you will find the artist experimenting with different techniques and materials, to create a video hornbook. As you can see, this video is far more energetic and colorful, not as simple as the first. However, the concept (and 'backstage process') behind this 'think outside the box' approach to typography is mind-boggling. I remember doing such visual exercises and experimentation for my typography, even communication design classes way back when. It is not easy to execute such ideas successfully. A definite hit or miss. That is why I put Stefan Sagmeister on a pedestal because he seems to hit the bulls-eye; probably even when blindfolded.

Moreover, n9ve is more than just your average design studio, they are ardent devotees and excellent storytellers. As visionaries, it is their pride and glory to be able to create stimulating and evolving work that push the visual boundaries. While you are at it, I highly recommend tuning into this following stop animation video too--one of their first ones.

STOP MOTION _ Telefono Azzurro from n9ve on Vimeo.

Artist/Producer: Alessandro Novelli, n9ve.

Experience Zero Gravity

2011-09-28T08:42:00.003-04:00

Experience Zero Gravity from Betty Wants In on Vimeo.

When discussing infinity sports experiences, this brilliant clip says it all. Words cannot describe the thrill this clip has given me. It is insanely awesome. Experience Zero Gravity films a couple of out-of-this-world cliff jumps across Norway, Switzerland, and France up to 6,000 feet. Yes, this well produced video by Betsy Wants In makes your heart skip a beat. Enjoy!

Produced by: Betty Wants In | Source: Gear Patrol

Something Fresh from Reinoso

2011-09-27T15:42:00.012-04:00

*PABLO REINOSO AND HIS BENCH SCULPTURE*

Pablo Reinoso's designs utter nothing but elegance and sophistication. Without compromising his oeuvre, Reinoso remarkably puts forward a vivid recollection of wabi-sabi aesthetics in his latest experimentation.

*TOOLS SERIES*

In his series, Tools, Reinoso re-imagines the existence of the everyday tool. Commonly seen as mass-produced, replaceable and/or durable objects, Reinoso proposes otherwise. Tools evoke an unspoken, romanticized side to these close-to-impeccable objects. The thin, elongated ends branch out into organic forms as if they are radiating life.

*TOOLS SERIES*

The series consist of 8 pieces including Escalera timida, Rufino's blues, La siesta del rastrillo, Pala ancha, Pala del Amor, Pala rampante, Pala rastrillante and Rastrillo rampante. Whether it is mounted on the wall or placed on the floor against the wall, these pieces possess a different level of beauty, one of which is not at all ephemeral like the ordinary objects we are familiar with.

*E-STUDIO SERIES*

His other series, Garabatos, on the other hand takes on a much more abstract approach. The extension of his visual language and representation nonetheless resembles the ambiguities of modern poetry. Subtle and endearing, yet screaming autonomy and self-empowerment.

*HUGE SUDELEY BENCH*

Images does not give it justice, but for the purpose of our current discussion, this should be sufficient. I included the Huge Sudeley Bench outdoor piece as well as some from the E-studios.

Artist: Pablo Reinoso

Words of Wisdom

2011-09-25T09:57:00.004-04:00

Read more about Robert Montgomery and his work in this Dazed & Confused interview.

Artist: Robert Montgomery | Source: Arrested Motion

Trippy Stuff

2011-08-27T10:48:00.005-04:00

Dutch Visual artists MRRK and Ine van den Elsen brings back the 1960s trippy light show in a new music video they produced for Dutch band TWR 72 pulsing track, "Tunnel." The explosions of colors using ink and oil provokes a mesmerizing display of liquid fireworks.

The video captures the interaction of colored inks and oil, something we all learned in art and science classes throughout middle school and high school. As we can see in the video, the more ink is used, the more intense the color explosion became.

The team shot all of the footage in three days using a micro lens, which allowed them to zoom in on the action in the petri dish, and edited the video in a week. With limited time and extreme dedication the artists wasted no time. "There were a lot of fumes involved, so we got a little bit high during the shoot and had a lot of fun making the video," van den Elsen tells Belinda Lanks of Co.Design. "We really felt connected to the psychedelic liquid light shows from the sixties."

Note to readers, make sure you keep the sound on full blast. Its great.

Artist: MRRK and Ine van den Elsen | Music by TWR 72

Bodyscapes

2011-08-27T10:23:00.005-04:00

* Dreamcatcher, 2009. Laser cut clear acrylic, fishing wire and ostrich feathers*

*Iceman Frozen Scanned and Plotted, 2007. Drillholes in acrylic and fluorescent light*

*Dervishes (installation view), 2007. Dye Sublimation print onto glass organza*

*Exhausted Figure, 2007. Engraved acrylic fishing wire*

UK-born Marilene Oliver completed her BA (Hons) in Fine Art, Printmaking and Photo media at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design and pursued her MA (RCA) in Fine Art Printmaking from 1999-2001 at Royal College of Art in London. She experiments on the different configurations of the human body and focuses on ways to intimately represent the physical world in comparison to the virtual world created by computers. In her art, she adopts new technologies that relate to medical imaging and artificial communication methodologies.

Artist: Marilene Oliver

Spraypaint, Pool and Non-Stop Skateboarding

2011-08-27T10:01:00.007-04:00

What happens when you combine an empty pool, spray paint and a couple of skaters? A happily ever-after marriage. Sometime last month, artist D*Face brought together all these elements and combined it into one big bowl of fun. This video has obviously made its rounds into the homes and attentions of approximately 750,000 viewers.

The crew prepping for the project:

*The Set-Up*

*The artist's brushes: Tristan Rennie, Kevin Burke, Ozzie Ausband, Dave Ruel, and Steve Alba*

The video itself was shot with GoPro and 7D. Below are some snaps from the scene:

To read more about the Culver City, Los Angeles project or to simply check cruise through more images, go to Concrete Disciples' website.

Artist: D*Face | Source: Concrete Disciples

Web of Hair

2011-08-27T09:04:00.012-04:00

*Bound, 2011. Sculpture, wood and dolls' hair, 3.50m x 2.50m*

Franco-British visual artist and filmmaker Alice Anderson' takes hobby and passion to the next level. Her love and admiration, even obsession with dolls allowed her to construct new and oddly very fascinating body of work. She's quite charming, a young and beautiful visionary who often finds herself reinterpreting her childhood and her stories using long red hair and doll's games in a manner of Hans Bellmer. Nevertheless, her work also reminds me of the work of Japanese artist, Chiharu Shiota, whom I adore for her complex yet innovative and visually stimulating installations.

I came across her work while browsing the video archives online at La Cinémathèque Française's website. In this filmed interview (click on the image to be directed to the video), the artist discusses in depth her usage of doll's hair as her primary material. She questions the material as a fundamental element of her vocabulary and admire it for its aesthetic challenges. The work with architecture is presented as an essential component to the development and assembly of most of her site-specific work.

*Housebound, 2011. A site-specific sculpture installation, 3,000m of dolls' hair*

*Crossing, 2010-11. A site-specific sculpture installation, 5,000m of dolls' hair. La Cinémathèque Française*

It is fascinating to see professional climbers help make her concept into reality, thread by thread. Using walkie talkie to communicate with the technicians, Alice Anderson, as La Cinémathèque Française describes her, "is like a choreographer who marvelously orchestrates an unusual ballet of threads from a distance."

*Mother Web, 2010. A site-specific sculpture installation, 5,000m of dolls' hair. Royal Opera House, London*

*Birth, 2010. A site-specific sculpture installation, 4,000m of dolls' hair*

*Synapses, 2010. A site-specific sculpture installation, 1,000m of dolls' hair*

*Immured, 2008. A site-specific sculpture installation, 3,000m of dolls' hair. Chagall Museum, Nice*

More of Anderson's films, sculptural/installation work and video interviews can be viewed directly at her website.

Artist: Alice Anderson | Source: La Cinémathèque Française

Homelessness

2011-08-27T08:28:00.012-04:00

Lee Jeffries has dedicated himself to capturing gripping portraits of the disenfranchised. Shooting exclusively in black and white, Jeffries' 135+ stunning pictures can be viewed in his Flickr Photostream. These close up portraits can be seen as an in-depth study of character: photograph has incredible detail and exudes so much personality and emotion.

Included in this post are 25 portraits, a minuscule sample of his large collection that can be found directly on Flickr. The models in his photographs are homeless people that he has met in Europe and in the United States. Prior to taking their photographs, Lee Jeffries never fails to make an effort to learn more about his subjects by getting to know them and asking their permission to document.

Artist/photographer: Lee Jeffries | Source: Twisted Sifter

8 Hours in Brooklyn

2011-08-27T00:07:00.004-04:00

8 Hours in Brooklyn from Next Level Pictures on Vimeo.

Documenting New York is another way to appreciate what the dynamic city has to offer. These guys have the right idea (along with vision and skills). Check out this subliminal video by Next Level Pictures. The footage was shot over an 8 hour span in Brooklyn, New York shot with a Phantom Flex Camera (lenses: Duclos/Tokina 11-16 f.2.8, Arri 150mm Master Prime T1.3).

Credits

Director/Cinematographer: Jonathan Bregel
Color Grade: Khalid Mohtaseb
Production NGAFers: Dan Selby, Jesse Korman, Chris Dowsett
Executive Producer: James Douglas
Production Company: Next Level Pictures

Song used: Skream - "Where You Should Be," download here.

For more information click here.

Source: Next Level Pictures | BTS pictures taken by Chris Dowsett

Corvid

2011-08-26T22:55:00.007-04:00

New work from British artist, Kate MccGwire entitled Corvid, 2011. Corvid is a seperntine, mixed media sculpture that measures approximately 48x130x59 inches and was formed using a mixture of crow and jackdaw feathers. Its muscular and nonconforming form suggests power, restriction and impermeability. The form is quite mysterious, and in my opinion, it plays with the idea of an infinite past. There is no beginning nor end to it. Corvid is now a part of the permanent collection of Charles Saatchi at the Saatchi Gallery, London.

Just to remind you in case you have not read my earlier posts, Kate MccGwire also does a couple of installation projects that ties in the surreal and the everyday experience. Her work is so unbelievably labor intensive and gorgeous. This specific installation below is called Evacuate and was crafted at the Tatton Park Biennale back in 2010. Comprised out of many feathers that would probably sum up the history of birds cooked in this kitchen at the Mansion, Evacuate brings together carefully thousands of locally sourced feathers gathered from pheasants, chickens, mallard, goose, turkeys, woodcocks, and peacocks to name a few.

As we can see, a massive feather-clad form oozes out of the stove, winds around itself, and is frozen on the cusp of enveloping everything in sight. At the same time, some serpentine forms spill out of the fireplace and bleed onto the floor.

As Evacuate takes over the room, we could see that this 'creature' focuses on something completely exotic and foreign (to me at least): the 'behind the scenes' world of kitchens.

Artist: Kate MccGwire | Photo by Tessa Angus and Barney Lidster

I Spy

2011-08-26T19:24:00.007-04:00

A couple of images from Patrick Demarchelier's portfolio/archives.

British Vogue, June 2011.

Vogue Russia, May 2011.

Gemma Ward, Vogue India, October 2007.

W, December 2010.

Industrie, Spring/Simmer 2010.

French Vogue, October 2007.

Nadja Avermann, Harper's Bazaar, New York, January 1995.

Artist/Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier

InCase::Evan Hecox::Arkitip

2011-08-24T17:56:00.003-04:00

Watch Evan Hecox's artistic production process on video, presented by InCase/Arkitip.

Artist: Evan Hecox

Exhibition Project Recap: Lak Aan Braak @ KUS

2011-07-27T03:49:00.006-04:00

Revisiting my trip to Heerlen, I would like to share my biking experience in the hilly parts of the Netherlands. Yes, this post (along with many others) can be considered long overdue, but the story will remain the same either way. I had the opportunity of meeting artist/curator Jens Besser, whom as you may or may not know has been involved in numerous projects throughout Europe. During my visit, I was able to see the "Urban Script Continues 2011 - Lak Aan Braak," a wallpainting project curated by Robert Kaltenhäuser and Jens Besser in cooperation with kuS. The project consisted of mural paintings scattered throughout the town and an that showcased the progress, communication and legal process, press and/or articles, scheduling and photographs of finished murals pieces. After going through various stages of development, the Heerlen project was realized with the participation (and collaboration) of artists including Bue (Belgium), ECB Grapic (Germany), Gigo (Germany), Graphic Surgery (the Netherlands), Lastplak Collective (the Netherlands), Maen Marek (Germany), Resto (Belgium), Roa (Belgium), Skount SR (the Netherlands), Vagabundos (Belgium), El Neoray (Belgium), and Marie van Collenhoven (the Netherlands).

The exhibition ended June 30th, however the murals remained untouched and are still viewable. I managed to obtain images from Jens' flickr, UrbanScript flickr as well as from kuS's website. Many thanks and credits for photography goes to both respectable parties. Also, check out the artists at work in this video below.

Exhibition link: Lak Aan Braak | Jen's Flickr page

Justin Bua's Documentary on DMC

2011-07-09T06:32:00.003-04:00

Landmark Television Documentary “DMC: Walk This Way”
to Debut on Ovation TV: JULY 10

World renown artist and author Justin BUA is proud to announce his directorial debut of "Walk this Way," the untold story of one of music's greatest legends Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels. As one of three founding members of the iconic group--RUN DMC--DMC brought rap to the mainstream of American culture, only to be left behind as hip-hop exploded and became one of the most significant cultural movements of our generation. Featuring Ice-T, Eminem, MC Lyte, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, Mix Master Mike, Z-Trip and many more, BUA paints a picture and chronicles DMC’s battle--and ultimate triumph--over his addiction to alcohol, the loss of his voice, and ultimately, the reclaiming of his identity.

Check out this 30 second promotion clip below:

"DMC: Walk this Way" premieres Sunday July 10, 10 pm EST on Ovation TV. To find Ovation in your area, go to www.ovationtv.com.

For more info visit: www.facebook.com/buafans and www.justinbua.com

Ernest Concepcion: L.A. GUERRA

2011-07-06T05:46:00.006-04:00

UNTITLED: ART PROJECTS Presents
ERNEST CONCEPCION
'L.A. GUERRA'
July 9-August 6, 2011

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 9, 2011
6-9pm

L.A. Guerra is an exhibition of new paintings that experiment with photo-based and landscape portraiture. I employ concepts of war in the process of their creation, charging at each painting with renderings of fantastical elements onto straightforward historical imagery, and intervening onto tranquil landscapes with drawn armies marching across the horizon.

My process is akin to a battle being waged on differing surfaces (paper vs. acetate), employing varied materials (pencil vs. sharpie) and divergent techniques (manga vs photorealism) to yield unexpected combatants (Norse Gods vs Filipino cryptids vs Nazi regiments). This springs from a child’s-view of a Philippine colonial past, in addition to an abiding obsession with Filipino, American, and Japanese visual culture, particularly comics, anime, and video games.

Compulsive patterns, lines and obsessive detail define my work, where tables battle chairs to compete with rednecks who fight aliens who squelch sasquatches who feast on campers. Sketches and doodles—the most rudimentary expression of visual thought—burgeon into wall-size ink drawings that traverse painting.

Recent work has me immersed in the world of enamel paint, a material most often associated with industrial production. I've spent the past year and a half with this substance to develop a haunting and powerful series of portraits of the mushroom cloud—the most powerful symbol of modern-man’s appetite for destruction.

ATTACK!

- Ernest Concepcion, June 21, 2011

Untitled: ArtProjects
2209 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Not to miss: NUEVO MUNDO Release in London

2011-07-06T05:16:00.008-04:00

NUEVO MUNDO
BOOK RELEASE LONDON Thursday July 7th 2011 6-9pm

Pictures on Walls
46-48 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT

SUBEN is proud to announce the imminent London release of 'Nuevo Mundo: Latin American Street Art' (Die Gestalten 2011) book at Pictures on Walls on Thursday, July 7th 2011 from 6-9pm.

Meet the book's author, Maximiliano Ruiz (SUBEN) and artists as they gratefully customize your copies with their finest art. Copies of the book will be available at a one night only special price.

Artists in attendance tomorrow night: Thiago Alvim, Yusk (Brazil), Don Lucho, Saile (Chile), Stinkfish (Colombia), Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada (Cuba), Buytronik, Cix (México), Basik, Physe and Wesr (Perú).

Click here for more details.

-----

Back in 2008, London celebrated Maximiliano Ruiz's (SUBEN) previous book release, 'Graffiti Argentina' (Thames & Hudson) with the attendance of many local street art lovers.

Trainspotting

2011-07-01T04:55:00.003-04:00

En route to Heerlen, The Netherlands. Camera died, but managed to take these pictures on my phone during my nice, quiet train ride.

Out and About: Köln

2011-07-01T04:43:00.005-04:00

Yay! Found two of the large murals that are a part of City Leaks Festival 2011. Gotta love BLU.

...and pictured above are other random findings. Can't help myself. I really liked that "It's Just Porn Mum!" sticker. Ha!

City Focus: Köln, Germany

2011-07-01T04:06:00.005-04:00

Nothing beats being with good friends in Köln, Germany. Put aside the extreme weather changes, train delays and lack of sleep our short trip to the city was pretty fun. People were extremely helpful and friendly there, which made it so much easier to get used to get around. Despite standing out in the crowd and not being able to communicate in German, they were open to giving us directions and suggestions. In fact, one guy actually gave us a brief history of this fourth largest city in Germany. Although unplanned, rather than having another day trip, we ended up spending the night there.

* Lovebirds *

*A good laugh*

Good times, good times. My camera died again shortly after, so much for documentation. Bummer.

Friends With You in NYC

2011-06-30T16:00:00.005-04:00

Long overdue pictures from the Friends With You installation by Highland Park in West Chelsea. These are pictures I took during my stay in New York early June.

Across the Bridge

2011-06-30T15:38:00.003-04:00

Random post. I thought about you, my beloved New York. As much as I try not to think about it, I miss being there. I was looking at pictures I have with me while I was sitting on the train on the way to Cologne, Germany and I really miss this specific spot where this picture was taken. In fact, I was daydreaming about sipping my favorite hot chocolate from this chocolate shop, sitting by the water, staring at the bridge, reading a nice book and lying down on the grass. This neighborhood is such a perfect little gem and I will come back to you very soon.

Matchcarden

2011-06-30T15:11:00.004-04:00

"Matchcarden is everything you need to cultivate your own cress lawn: simply attach your house to garden, sow the seeds and add a little water. In just a few days your garden will start to grow, a little nature indoors." -- quoted from their blog.

I love how Another Studio For Design designed and produced two different themes for their product Matchcarden. The City Street of your typical London inspired townhouses . The other set, which includes churches, thatched cottage and the local shop are three samples from The Typical English Village theme.

Check out this stop motion animation that Millie Harvey produced for them.

Source and designer: Another Studio For Design

Sticky Icky: Amsterdam

2011-06-30T15:05:00.003-04:00

I thought I would share these collection of funny or cool pieces spread throughout.

Out and About: Amsterdam

2011-06-30T15:00:00.006-04:00

Spotted some pieces by C215 and A1ONE.

Out and About: Rotterdam

2011-06-30T14:37:00.007-04:00

Random shots in Rotterdam before my camera died. Bummer. I did manage to see the all the amazing architecture though, including the cube houses, the CCTV building etc. Stickers were found throughout Rotterdam Centraal. The mural was done by Brazilian artist Onio on Mauritshof. Back in 2009, Rotterdam actually hosted the R.U.A Festival, which was organized by Caramundo. Check out the video below.

RUA FESTIVAL from 4x5 on Vimeo.

To read more about this past event and see images taken by Seth Nicolas click here. Big shout out to my friend Dante Horoiwa for being purely awesome.

Source: RUA Blog

Den Haag: Parkpop 2011

2011-06-30T13:26:00.005-04:00

Good times, good times. Had such a blast.

Artistic Output vs. Theoretical Thought

2011-06-28T22:14:00.004-04:00

Long-time artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto was born in Biella in 1933. In 2003, he won Venice Biennale's Golden Lion for Lifelong Achievement. His participation as well as contribution to the art world gave way to an international recognition of his talent and fresh ideas. One of the important quality that Pistoletto brings to us is his intelligence and ability to articulate and express his understanding of the world into immaculate forms of art.

Artist: Michelangelo Pistoletto

Canoas

2011-06-28T21:57:00.003-04:00

Canoas by Tamar Guimarães, 2010 from the exhibition The Work of the Spirit (Parade) at Gasworks, London, UK.

Artist: Tamar Guimarães | Exhibiting at Gasworks

Out and About: Sloterdijk Amsterdam

2011-06-28T21:11:00.004-04:00

Project ASA also organized some live painting events at Sloterdijk, Amsterdam this past weekend. Artists Kenzo, Sweet Toof, Ox-Alien, BToy, Goin and Clone painted on billboards that were placed throughout the Sloterdijk station's vicinity. Above are several shots I took quickly as we waited for our other friend to arrive. I got a chance to stop by on my way to Den Haag for the free concert, PopPark Festival. Oh yeah, it was a lot of fun. I got to see Jamie Cullum live in the summer heat. Thankfully, there were booze and food that came along with the journey.

Out and About: Centraal Amsterdam

2011-06-28T21:00:00.006-04:00

More of my random findings throughout Centraal, Amsterdam...

Exhibition Recap: All Stars @ Go Gallery

2011-06-28T19:41:00.013-04:00

Despite the mild rain and dreary weather, my friend and I made a trip to Go Gallery to attend the opening reception of All Stars Exhibition, which was organized by Amsterdam Street Art (also known as ASA) and gallery owner, Oscar Van Der Voorn. It must be fate that my trip schedule was moved around last minute. If anything, I am grateful that everything turned out the way it did for I would have missed such a successful exhibition. The team members of Project ASA have been working so hard in organizing the various events and occurrences throughout the city. With aims to celebrate street art and beautify the city, their ambition is to become the liaison between artists and the public.

As expected, the exhibition drew in an eclectic mix of individuals and groups, some of whom seem to be regulars or are at least were a part of the community. It was nice to see such a warm and intimate bunch gathered in a space to not only mingle and admire the art, but most importantly to support the cause of the projects as well as to support the participating artists. Nonetheless, I admire the curation of the exhibition in itself. Simple, straightforward and dynamic. Each piece was carefully chosen and equally interesting; although some drew in more attention than others. Placed at the front of the gallery were Kenzo and Orticanoodles' work across from GOIN and Klone. Walking further into the space, the audience were greeted by Sweet Toof, Bustart, Ox-Alien, London Police, as well as locals such as Michan and KBTR.

The gallery had a very welcoming layout. My friend and I roamed around the gallery, enjoying each piece and ended up discussing a lot of the pieces. Going to this particular exhibition was quite an experience, because it is unexpected. We were not only impressed by the artist line up and the work chosen for each artist, but primarily, we felt that the placement of some of these works next to or across from each other worked out quite well. It was not the regular cookie-cutter type of exhibition or ones that are jumbled. Ease-dropping at a couple of conversations, we were happy to hear that a lot of the visitors agreed that it was a coherent show. Our favorites were OrticaNoodles' skull piece that was modeled after artist Frida Kahlo, GOIN's Fukushima Flowers, and Michan's three pieces tucked in the furthest walls of the space.

Aside from the framed pieces in the back gallery, London Police also did a wall (ceiling to be precise) painting inside the gallery as well as a large piece on the Prisengracht mural next door to the gallery. In fact, there were amazing pieces around the gallery that my friend and I spotted. I am sure there were more around us but the rain directed our route to a place that I immediately fell in love with, La Oliva. I highly recommend you checking out this place if you are looking to enjoy a delicious round of Spanish tapas, and wine. Not to mention, the place is so cozy and intimate that you would easily come back just to sit down and have a nice conversation with your friends or family.

Moreover, if you are around and have a chance, the exhibition will be on view at Go Gallery until July 24, 2011. For more information or to see the artist line up, click here.

Exhibition organized by Project ASA and Go Gallery.

City Focus: Amsterdam

2011-06-28T19:13:00.005-04:00

Findings throughout Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Click on each image for greater detail.

Wecome to Amsterdam!

2011-06-28T19:09:00.004-04:00

Hello old friend, we meet again. Amsterdam is such an interesting city with numerous streets that house wonderful works of art. Words cannot explain how distracting it is for me to walk to places and noticing all of these magnificent pieces. I don't only stop and stare, but I find myself drawn to each of them. Thankfully, I always have my phone or camera handy to take snapshots. Although I would remember them, it is always nice to have things document them rather than just keeping a mental note. It makes a big difference, especially when I want to describe certain pieces to my friends or colleagues. On the bright side, I would like to refer back to them when I return to the United States.

I LOVE EUROPE

2011-06-28T06:15:00.005-04:00

The end of June marks the beginning of a beautiful journey throughout Europe. I arrived several days ago and was immediately distracted by the people, places and activities the continent has to offer. It is like a wonderland, where I would find myself lost in awe and at times, imagining myself adopting their hardworking yet relaxed lifestyle. I packed my five of my most important travel necessities: my worn out Tom's, smartphone, my beloved Leica, my sketchbook, and light scarf. I will be hopping around to different cities and countries until July 27th, unless I extend my stay...

Image designed by Sandy Lemoine.