Category Archives: Art

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Sean Hart: Street Poetry

Typographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureTypographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureTypographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureClick to enlarge

French street artist Sean Hart considers himself a poet (among many other things) and his poetry “is a weapon loaded with the future.” He paints large, existential-style statements in a condensed typeface on surfaces all over the world. His most recent series Shine (the blue and white photos at top) have an anamorphic quality, allowing his phrases to be read despite right angles and open doors in the center of the image. According to Hart all his works consist of paint, a camera, time and himself. No photoshop. No special effects. The works below Shine are from his series Yes Future from 2011, and the bottom image of a stabbed Tintin is from his series Parce Que!

UPDATE: One of Sean Hart’s recent interventions spotted on the streets of Madrid is over here on Escrito en la Pared.

via vandalog

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Lumen 2012: Atlantic Salt, Staten Island

Lumen 2012, Staten Island, light and performance festival, Atlantic Salt piles in New Brighton, Staten Island, NYCLumen 2012, Staten Island, light and performance festival, Atlantic Salt piles in New Brighton, Staten Island, NYCLumen 2012, Staten Island, light and performance festival, Atlantic Salt piles in New Brighton, Staten Island, NYCClick to enlarge

This past weekend was one of those spectacular New York City summer weekends, with clear blue skies, hot but dry air, and more interesting fun events taking place than time to see them all. We opted for the very colorful Mermaid Parade on Coney Island (30th anniversary, no less), the Renegade Craft Fair in Williamsburg, the Gay Pride Parade in the Village, and the play “Slow Girl” at the lovely new (and quite affordable) Claire Tow Theater with a beautiful terrace offering up some of the nicest views of Lincoln Center. Saturday night was our biggest dilemma: free concert at Bryant Park? Lumen Festival in Staten Island? However, after bopping around multiple subway lines in Brooklyn during the day, we went for the low-key option of the new Woody Allen film in the neighborhood.

BUT, back to the topic of this post: Lumen 2012. Over on the industrial waterfront property of Staten Island, more specifically, the Atlantic Salt Company—the company that supplies road salt to the city during its snowy winters—all sorts of light-related exhibits took place. Due to an almost snowless winter in NY this year, the piles at the New Brighton company are still high with over 150,000 tons of salt, some piles as high as 5 stories. Roughly 50 artists, projected and performed their works on and around the mounds of salt, which (at least in the photos) looks very cool and in some cases Felliniesque. I wasn’t able to match many of the works with their artists, but here are the ones I found, followed by a link to a list of all the participating artists.

Top photo: Brendan Coyle’s piece titled “Mr. Canard”; second photo: Jeanne Verdoux’s “Woman Working” animation; Marco Brambilla’s “Sea of Tranquility,” a recreation of a lunar expedition; Phillip David Stearns neon light installation; and here’s the link to the list of artists (we welcome any additional information, if anyone knows the other works)
Photos: Garret Ziegler; Rocco S. Cetera; Eric Norcross; and Anthony DePrimo.
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Shakespeare Machine: Ben Rubin

Multimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinMultimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinMultimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinClick to enlarge

When I heard designer Paula Scher speak a couple of weeks ago at the Reasons to be Creative conference, she mentioned the current renovation at the Public Theater in NYC and the new graphics that she and her team at Pentagram are working on. She also mentioned a very interesting piece acting as a sort of centerpiece chandelier in the main lobby: a Shakespeare Machine designed by Ben Rubin (previously here and here.) The work is described in the Public Theater’s press release as follows:

A large-scale multimedia sculpture, “Shakespeare Machine,” has been commissioned from Ben Rubin for The Public’s lobby. Suspended from the ceiling and serving as the lobby’s chandelier, the work features 37 display screens on which fragments of Shakespeare’s plays appear and dance, creating an unfolding kaleidoscope of language in motion. The installation is part of New York City’s Percent for Art initiative, which ensures that a portion of construction project budgets are dedicated to site-specific artworks.

Upon further research I came across several Shakespeare Machines that Rubin has worked on in the past few years, as a way of working out concepts and algorithms for the Public Theater sculpture. The top three images are from the latest, and presumably final, renderings for the actual piece due to debut this coming fall. The fourth image is a previous rendering from 2009, while the fifth image is from A Shakespeare Accelerator: Experiments in Kinetic Language, a piece that is currently being exhibited at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at RPI in Troy, NY through the end of July. The final image is an iteration from 2009 included in the group show Textual Landscapes: Real and Imagined at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.

The final piece that will hang in the Public Theater’s lobby will cycle continuously through the text of Shakespeare’s plays organized as a repeating series of compositions, recombining the small linguistic molecules to form new poetic visual combinations. The nature of the algorithms ensures that no composition will repeat.

I’m looking forward to checking this out. In the meantime, you can take a peek at the animated rendering here.

Images courtesy of Ben Rubin, EMAC, Bryce Wolkowitz, and The Public Theater.
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John Grade: Inspired by & Interactive with Nature

Large scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. Biodegradable, dissolve and wash away with waterLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The HuntLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The HuntLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The Elephant Bed, seeps of winter Click to enlarge

Originally from Minneapolis and now living and working in Seattle after receiving his MFA from Pratt in Brooklyn, NY, artist John Grade creates giant sculptures that are inspired by, as well as interactive with, nature. After spending several years traveling the world and sketching nature, one can see the influence, even if only indirectly, in Grade’s work. Grade thrives on the landscapes and elements that surround him. His art, in many cases, is made with recycled materials and is always biodegradable and environmentally friendly. His sculptures are meant to safely devolve, disintegrate, or dissolve in nature and are usually transported to a specific location after being exhibited for this process to take place. For example, his Elephant Beds (first, fourth, and fifth rows of photos) are made of paper that has no binder which allows them to fall apart and disintegrate as soon as they touch, or are touched by, water. His Seeps of Winter (bottom photos) are reminiscent of a whale but are based on the bogs of Ireland. The gray paper pulp surface along with the rest of the enormous work is meant to devolve in desert, forest and alpine landscapes. Pretty incredible.

via art ltd.

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Ben Jackel: War & Emergency Tools

Warrior sculpture, War, Soldiers, Syntagma, Compliance Solutions, Ben Jackel, LA artistWarrior sculpture, War, Soldiers, Syntagma, Compliance Solutions, Ben Jackel, LA artistFire Hydrant sculpture, standpipe sculpture, emergency tools, Ben Jackel, LA artist, Zero Percent ContainedFire Hydrant sculpture, standpipe sculpture, emergency tools, Ben Jackel, LA artist, Zero Percent ContainedClick to enlarge

Los Angeles-based artist Ben Jackel uses primitive materials and old traditions to look at the contemporary world. He is interested in the history of warfare and its tools, from 15th Century halberds to present day spy planes, and has recreated versions of them in mahogany coated in graphite. As a counterpart to these, Jackel has made a series of emergency tools using stoneware and beeswax that include fire hydrants, standpipes, alarms, axes, and fire hoses. These tool sculptures both contrast and complement the war-themed ones; they, too, represent powerful forces at the ready.

Jackel’s latest solo exhibit Zero Percent Contained is on view through the end of June at LA Louver in Venice, California.

You can see Jackel’s process in the video below:

Photos courtesy of the artist; artslant; and la louver
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Sandy Carson: Paradise Has Relocated

Striking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyStriking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyStriking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyClick to enlarge

Scottish photographer Sandy Carson, now based in Austin, Texas, examines a specific segment of American life in a humorous and simultaneously poignant way. In his series titled Paradise Has Relocated, Carson captures the remains of post-Hurricane Ike (2008) Galveston. There’s a ghostliness in his shots of abandoned everyday objects and fractured structures. I love them all.

You can see the rest of this series on Carson’s website as well as his other projects; Obstructed Blandscapes being another series I especially liked.

via okay mountain

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Subodh Gupta: Utensil Sculptures

contemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilscontemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilscontemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilsClick to enlarge

Internationally acclaimed artist Subodh Gupta, living and working in New Delhi, India, takes the ready-made and converts it into sculpture. Using signature Indian stainless steel tiffin-tins and other utensils, Gupta creates monumental installations ranging from soldier’s heads and water buckets that are spilling over to eggs in their carton and a giant mushroom cloud (Line of Control) that was first exhibited at the Tate Triennial a few years back.

Photos courtesy of Arario Gallery; Saatchi Gallery; and Hauser & Wirth
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Zach Lieberman: Interactive Artist

interactive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyClick to enlarge

Another of the amazing speakers at Reasons to be Creative last week was Brooklyn-based digital artist and programmer Zach Lieberman. He uses technology in a playful way breaking down the fragile boundary between the visible and invisible. His main goal is to surprise. Lieberman has collaborated on numerous impressive projects, many of which have rightfully won awards and been exhibited at, among other places, MoMA’s Talk to Me exhibit last year.

One of his impressive projects—in conjunction with the Graffiti Research Lab—is a project initially created to allow TEMPT1 — a pioneering artist in the 1980s and 90s California graffiti scene who has since been afflicted with ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder leaving him completely paralyzed except for the use of his eyes and mind — to draw using an eyetracking system. Lieberman was able to keep the cost very low, and with incredible ingenuity created Eyewriter. See the video below to watch it in action and for more details. Truly incredible and so heartwarming.

Another interesting project Lieberman collaborated on with two typographers and a professional stunt driver is IQ font for Toyota. Tracking the car’s movements using custom software designed by Lieberman, they created a font which is unique and can be downloaded for free.

Other projects include voice activated graphics in Messa Di Voce, an audiovisual performance collaboration with Golan Levin, and a music video for BELL using FaceTracker code with fun effects happening on the singer’s face in real-time. (See second video below.)

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CupNoodles Museum

Cup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoClick to enlarge

Just back a few days from their amazing trip to Japan, Em and Dan had lots to report. High on their list in terms of cool fun was the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama, about 30 minutes from Tokyo. Opened last fall, the interactive museum chronicles the history of the instant ramen noodle created by Momofuku Ando in 1958. Included in the museum is a Design-your-Own Cup Noodle from content to package design, a replica of the shed where the instant ramen was invented, A Noodles Bazaar Food Court, and a theme park. Oh, and of course, a gift shop selling all things ramen, including the lovely set of chopsticks that they brought back for me, which I might just have to frame instead of actually use. When I questioned the relevance of the fun graphic logo, Em and Dan immediately responded with “No, it’s perfect. That’s exactly the feeling you experience the minute you step through the door.” ’Nough said.

Update: I just noticed that the exclamation points refer to the decorative border on the CupNoodle cup, so there’s that too…

All photos by collabcubed except second from top and second from bottom by Yuriko Nakao/Reuters.
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Jon Burgerman

Jon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, tribute to Maurice Sendak and MCA, Beastie BoysJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, Bushwick Band, Anxieteam, Bushwick DreamClick to enlarge

I attended the Reasons to be Creative conference last week here in NYC and was blown away by every single speaker. Such talent! Creativity! Passion! Truly amazing.

One of the more entertaining speakers — due to his charm and wackiness — was Jon Burgerman, a British expat living and working in Brooklyn, in addition to eating a lot of salad and pizza. An illustrator and street artist, Burgerman draws and paints colorful characters that have been made into Kidrobot toys, appeared on Pepsi cans, hats, sneakers and even a car or two. He is (as described on his website) “a multidisciplinarian carefully constructing a world in which the narrative of being an artist is played out across a wide variety of media for the distraction, enlightenment and delight of those who choose to tune in.” Also, a total goofball, in the best sense of the word.

He recently had a show in a pizza shop in New Jersey; walls filled with pizza slice characters on paper plates (I am now the proud owner of ‘Cheesus Slice’). His tribute to the recently passed Maurice Sendak and Beastie Boys’ MCA is perfect. And if all these projects aren’t enough, he performs with fellow artist and good friend Jim Avignon as Anxieteam, which, to me, has a low-budget Flight of the Conchords feel and looks like it would be a lot of fun to witness live.

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The Secret Life of Toys

Photos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyHumorous photos of Star Wars toys out of work, Marcos MinuchinClick to enlarge

I spotted Argentinean photographer Marcos Minuchin’s photographs a couple of weeks back at the annual Washington Square Memorial Day Art Show, on my way to buy a bagel. The large prints hanging outside his booth made me smile.

Minuchin started his series The Secret Life of Toys in 2007 as a photography class project, but kept the project going after a lot of positive feedback. His Recession Army series seems especially relevant these days. According to Minuchin, one of the perks of working with toys is that they work long hours without complaining.

You can see more of Minuchin’s photographs on his website, and you can purchase them there too.

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Carlos Franklin: Hair-Embroidered Portraits

Hair Portraits created by embroidering hair, Carlos Franklin, Contemporary Colombian Art, Cool, Weird, Quirky artHair Portraits created by embroidering hair, Carlos Franklin, Contemporary Colombian Art, Cool, Weird, Quirky artHair Portraits created by embroidering hair, Carlos Franklin, Contemporary Colombian Art, Cool, Weird, Quirky artClick to enlarge

Carlos Franklin is a Colombian artist who seems to currently reside in Paris. His work is about ‘foreignness’; being in the periphery of a culture or society as well as an observer. His work ranges from illustration to film, including graphics and installations.

His Elegance portraits are a series of drawings of males that use hair as the raw material. Franklin reproduces anonymous male photos that he finds on the internet and hairstyle magazines, by embroidering with human hair. A little bizarre, but the results are interesting.

via saatchionline

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Sabi van Hemert: Childlike Creatures

Sculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksClick to enlarge

Dutch artist Sabi van Hemert creates sculptures of figures that combine childlike poses with alien looks.

From the artist:
I create an image from synthetic material or clay, letting myself be led by thoughts, associations and emotions. What do I see in the shape, what sort of feeling do I get, what does it remind me of, what am I saying with this? And, is this what I want to make? Once the image is finished, I cover it either partially or entirely with a “skin” of a different material. The choice of skin depends on the image. In contrast to the spontaneity at the beginning of the work process, when I make the skin I work in a very structured manner. For weeks, with great patience and discipline, I cut, paste or prick, following self-imposed rules such as, “all forms in the same rhythm” or “all lines continue onward”.

You can see much more of van Hemert’s work on her website.

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Oh, Plastiksack!

Plastic bag exhibit at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland, cool art installations, paintings, product design all made with plastic bagsPlastic bag exhibit at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland, cool art installations, paintings, product design all made with plastic bagsSimon Monk, paintings of superheroes in plastic bags, Oh Plastik Sack exhibit,Plastic bag exhibit, art installations, products, photographs, made with plastic bagsClick to enlarge

Oh, Plastiksack! is an exhibition currently at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland. A tribute to, and a commentary on, the ubiquitous plastic bag; from trash to status symbol, as well as a reflection of consumption patterns, the plastic bag is represented as the medium of choice and running theme for all the sculptures, installations, paintings, products and photographs in the show.

From top to bottom, left to right:
Luzinterruptus (lit dumpster); Simon Monk (Batman and Robin in plastic bags paintings); Ida-Marie Corell (Ikea bag installation and dress); Duty Free bag collection (artist?); Claudia Borgna (plastic bag installation in courtyard); Living room furniture made from plastic bags by Anne-Cecile Rappa, Biaugust and Ryan Frank; Luke Julius Keijser (tailored suits); and Nils Völker (plastic bag installation Eighty Eight).

The exhibit runs through June 21, 2012.

Photos: Gewerbemuseum, Claudia Borgna, Ida-Marie Corell, Bernhard Hageman; Tommi Makynen.

Thanks, Nils Völker!

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Three Studio: Melted Manga Figurines & More

Melted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesFish soy sauce container sculptures, Three Studio, Tokyo Baby, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesMelted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool Sculpturesthousands of Japanese fish-like soy sauce containers form cool sculptures, Three StudioClick to enlarge

Japanese art collective Three Studio, based in Tokyo, create contemporary colorful sculptures using Manga Anime figurines and fish-shaped soy sauce containers. The Melted Manga Anime Figure Sculptures are, well, just that. Three Studio melts thousands of the figurines together creating sculptural blocks, tableaus, and figures that include bodies. From a distance, the bunched up pieces become abstract, but up close the decapitated heads, loose torsos, eyeballs and feet become apparent for a humorous and, at the same time, slightly creepy effect.

Three Studio’s series of sculptures created with thousands of fish-shaped soy sauce containers filled with colored water, range in form from geometric shapes to a mobius strip and even a Tokyo Baby. Fun stuff!

via Slanted and Gradient

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Luzinterruptus: Plaza de la Cebada Pool

Protest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, cool light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artClick to enlarge

The Spanish guerilla art collective Luzinterruptus (previously here) is at it again. Their latest intervention took place on May 15th at Plaza de la Cebada in Madrid. Collecting over 2,000 used plastic cups and containers in the previous month, the artists filled them each with blue water, placed them in a 6 x 4 meter rectangle and lit them. This was to represent the community public swimming pool that had been demolished by the city in 2008 with the promise of building a new and improved pool. Four years later, still no sign of a pool, while plans are now evolving into a high-end entertainment center and gourmet food marketplace which will be too pricey for the people of the neighborhood.

The light installation in the shape of a swimming pool was a reminder of what the space once was and what it should rightfully be once again in the not-too-distant future.

via Luzinterruptus’ facebook

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Andrea Juan: Antarctic Installations & Photos

neon mesh fabric on antarctic landscape, Andrea Juan, Contemporary Photography, Argentinean art, Climate Change Concernsneon mesh fabric on antarctic landscape, Andrea Juan, Contemporary Photography, Argentinean art, Climate Change Concernsneon mesh fabric on antarctic landscape, Andrea Juan, Contemporary Photography, Argentinean art, Climate Change Concernsneon mesh fabric on antarctic landscape, Andrea Juan, Contemporary Photography, Argentinean art, Climate Change ConcernsClick to enlarge

Argentinean artist Andrea Juan works with photography, digital video and installations. Since 2004 her work has revolved around Antarctica and scientific research related to climate change. She has used the ice-fields both as a screen for slide projections of the contrasting warm and sunny sunflowers from the northern Argentina that eventually convert to flames and burn out as a warning to the viewer, and, more recently, as the backdrop for her bright-colored fabric installations and performances.

Her latest series of photographs are titled New Species and New Eden, both of which are on view at Praxis gallery here in NYC.

Following the meltdown of ice shelves which caused important changes in glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula, an extraordinary wealth of new specimens has been found. An unknown world of possibilities and new life has emerged and it is the core of the series New Species (2011). The striking images depict the newly discovered ecosystem that had remained unnoticed under the ice in playful scenes where gleaming shapes take over the immeasurable setting.
This series also sparked the latest site-specific project which is titled New Eden (2012). This performance/installation took place in Antarctica last January and February. Large pieces of mesh in neon colors flow over large expanses of ice without touching the ground.  The translucent material casts diaphanous shadows on highly reflective areas which become covered with pink and orange light. Like soft and delicate living organisms, the sheer net moves between the shapes of ice blocks in the land and clouds in the sky, while changing the perception of an otherwise frosty landscape.

There’s a Christo quality to these latest installations that I love. The whiteness of the snow and ice as a canvas makes these spectacularly bright colors and shapes all the more dramatic.

New Species New Eden is on view at Praxis until July 14, 2012.

Photos courtesy of the artist; Praxis; and artnet

via Kaia