Category Archives: Pop Culture

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Chris Mitton: Revalue

carrara marble, contemporary sculpture, crushed cans, everday objectscarrara marble, contemporary sculpture, crushed cans, everday objectscarrara marble, contemporary sculpture, crushed cans, everday objectscarrara marble, contemporary sculpture, crushed cans, everday objectsClick to enlarge

“revalue: to change the value of something or to consider it again.”

Revalue is the name of this series of sculptures by British artist Chris Mitton. By reinterpreting cultural objects in a contrasting material — in this case, handcarved carrara marble — Mitton’s work emphasizes the subjective nature of their value. From a crushed can to a grenade, Mitton’s “monuments to the mundane” are, for the most part, life size. A few large-scale exceptions above shown with the actual size can in the photo.

With skill and humor Chris Mitton makes us rethink the transitory.

There’s a similar thinking with Vlad Berte.

via TAG Fine Arts

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Peter Clark: Found Vintage Paper Collages

mixed media collage, found vintage paper collage, dog artmixed media collage, found vintage paper collage, hedgehogmixed media collage, found vintage paper collage, dog artA long time collector of ‘things’, English artist Peter Clark uses old stamps, maps, love letters, labels, buttons, sewing patterns, and more that he has collected, to create his somewhat three dimensional collages. He starts by drawing the outline in felt tip and then carefully selects from his paper and fabric stash for the right materials, as well as colors, to define tonal effects and other features in his art objects. Though he has a large array of dog collages, he does also make works based on other animals, objects, faces, and garments too.

via Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery

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Free Domestic Shipping on EARonics!

iPhone 4 case, iPhone 4s case, humorous iPhone case, ear, Van Gogh, Girl with Pearl Earring, collabcubedStarting today, well, actually yesterday, we are offering free shipping on all EARonic iPhone 4/4S case orders within the U.S. and, now, $5 shipping on international orders. To guarantee arrival by Christmas, for those doing their holiday shopping, please order by December 15th on orders within the U.S. International holiday orders should be placed as soon as possible since we cannot guarantee less than 3 weeks for delivery…international shipments have varied from as little as a week to as much as a month.

So visit the CollabCubed Shop today and place your order because sometimes you may just want to mix it up a bit.

(Props to Aaron!)

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Nuria Mora: 3D Paper Sculpture Street Art

street art, graffiti, madrid, origami in ad space, paper sculpture street artstreet art, graffiti, madrid, origami in ad space, paper sculpture street artstreet art, graffiti, madrid, origami in ad space, paper sculpture street artClick to enlarge

Spanish street artist Nuria Mora (previous post) who we know more for her colorful large-scale abstract murals, also creates 3D street art. In the past several months Mora has been taking over public ad spaces (lit marquee-style ad boxes; do those have a name?) and inserting her origami paper sculptures that can be seen from both sides – as well as highlighted by light at night – on main thoroughfares in Madrid. I like everything about these: the idea of replacing ads with art; the origami pieces themselves; the way she blocks out the glass to create a window specific to her piece; and the happy quality of it all.

Though a different anti-ad street art approach, there is some connection to Graffiti Research Lab’s 2007 video screen intervention in NYC. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you check it out here.

But getting back to Nuria Mora, visit her site for much more of her lovely work.

Photos: Javier Montero; Miriam Moreno, Nuria Mora; and Escrito en la Pared.

via escrito en la pared

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Nils Viga Hausken: Art of the Cross Stitch

Nils Viga Hausken, contemporary art, Norway, Lego, collabcubed.Nils Viga Hausken, contemporary art, Norway, Lego, collabcubedNils Viga Hausken, contemporary art, Norway, Lego, collabcubed.Nils Viga Hausken, contemporary art, Norway, Lego, collabcubed.Click on images for detail.

Norwegian artist Nils Viga Hausken works in a variety of mediums, but in the past ten years much of his work has consisted of cross stitch on linen. This embroidery work deals with aspects of time and Nordic tradition. Some pieces play off of Nordic china patterns, while others are strictly type, in what seem to be political and humorous statements, but I can’t be sure since they’re in Norwegian or Danish. And then there are the Legos! The universal language of Lego. The digitized-looking pieces are embroidered to pixelated perfection, and, well, they’re just kind of fun.

The QR code series have curious names that make me wonder if they are actually scannable.

From top left to right and top to bottom: What are you looking at; Faith; Hope; and Love.

Viga Hausken also has an 18-piece cross stitch work titled No Time, showing the transformation of a butterfly into a QR code.

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Sam3: More Street Art from Spain

Spanish street art, graffiti, large murals, silhouettes, Sam3, collabcubedSpanish street art, graffiti, large murals, silhouettes, Sam3, collabcubedSpanish street art, graffiti, large murals, silhouettes, Sam3, collabcubedClick to enlarge

Known for his massive scale silhouettes on city walls, Spanish street artist Sam3 has works in cities from Madrid to Lisbon, Cologne to Buenos Aires and even San Francisco, to name a few. I especially love the inverted silhouettes — I can’t believe there isn’t more of that in other street artists’ work. Also, the way he integrates the building façade in many of these (see third photo from top) is so clever and effective.

You can see more of Sam3’s work on his site, blog, and this flickr pool.

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Leon Keer: Lego Army Chalk Street Art

Amazing 3-d Chalk drawing, Lego, Sarasota, Leon Keer, Planet StreetpaintingAmazing 3-d Chalk drawing, Lego, Sarasota, Leon Keer, Planet StreetpaintingAmazing 3-d Chalk drawing, Lego, Sarasota, Leon Keer, Planet StreetpaintingClick to enlarge

This has been making the rounds on facebook but I just came upon a whole set of images from the artist. The amazing Lego Army 3-D chalk drawing is by Dutch artist Leon Keer and the artist collective Planet Street Painting created for the Sarasota 2011 Chalk Festival in Florida. The drawing, based on the famous terracotta sculpture army of Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang, measures 30 x 40 feet and is drawn in such a way to fool the eye with depth and perception.

Apparently, there is a link between an 8-foot-tall Lego man that washed up overnight on October 25th at Siesta Key beach and Leon Keer’s drawing. Clever publicity stunt or coincidence? Either way, a very impressive feat.

Photos: Leon Keer’s flickr and Herald Tribune
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IXXI: Photo Walls

pixelated wall images, photo wall, modular photo system, ixxipixelated wall images, photo wall, modular photo system, ixxiDeveloped by Dutch designers Eric Sloot, Paulien Berendsen and
Roel Vaessen, ixxi is a modular wall-hanging system made up of square photo cards connected by plastic x’s and i’s. It allows you to make your own photo enlargements, photo collages, pixelated images, or any other creative ideas you can come up with. Oh, the possibilities!

See more on the ixxi site.

via bb

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Alfabeto Graffiti: Graffiti Alphabet

graffiti alphabet, type, street art, art book, collabcubedgraffiti alphabet, type, street art, art book, collabcubedalfabeto graffiti, street art, typography, alphabetClick to enlarge

Attention type lovers and street art aficionados: this may be just the book for you. Claudia Walde, author of Alfabeto Graffiti, spent over two years collecting alphabets by 154 street artists from 30 countries. The brief given to each artist was to “design all 26 letters of the Latin alphabet within the limits of a single page of the book.” The result: Alfabeto Graffiti.

Though I haven’t seen the actual book, the spreads on the publisher’s page look like the perfect combination of street art photos and fun (complementing) typography.

via Editoral Gustavo Gil and available here. 319 pages with text in Spanish.

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Scott Campbell: Cut Currency

Currency art, tattoo art, skulls, dollarsCurrency art, tattoo art, skulls, dollarsCurrency art, tattoo art, skulls, dollarsClick to enlarge

Originally from New Orleans, but now living and working in New York, Scott Campbell studies and chronicles working-class iconography commonly found in tattoo culture. His work highlights the irony within much of that imagery.

In Campbell’s cut currency works, he sources uncut sheets of dollars directly from the U.S. Mint and creates intricate sculpture-like pieces with a sunken relief effect by laser cutting the stacks of bills.

You can see more of Scott Campbell’s work on his site as well as schedule an appointment for a tattoo.

Thanks Rachael!

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Bar Code Shopping Center Building

humorous architecture, russia, Bar code building, collabcubedhumorous architecture, russia, Bar code building, collabcubedClick to enlarge

First we find a bar code sculpture and now a building! Not just a building but, more accurately and appropriately, a shopping center. The architects behind the building are the Russian firm Vitruvius and Sons. The Bar Code building or Shtrikh Code, which houses shops and offices, is located on the bank of the Neva River in St. Petersburg. Its bright red façades are hard to miss among the mostly gray landscape. Though completed in 2008, the building was recently entered in the Wan Awards 2011 under the ‘color’ category.

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Youth Factory: Selgas Cano Architects

Mérida, Youth Center, skateboarding, rock climbing, Spain, contemporary architectureMérida, Youth Center, skateboarding, rock climbing, Spain, contemporary architectureMérida, Youth Center, skateboarding, rock climbing, Spain, contemporary architectureMérida, Youth Center, skateboarding, rock climbing, Spain, contemporary architectureClick to enlarge

SelgasCano Architects’ design for the new Youth Factory (Factoría Joven) in Mérida, Spain is all about welcoming and protecting. The colorful youth center is very open with its, possibly, most notable feature being a huge orange, organically shaped canopy that protects from rain and the strong hot rays of the sun, typical of Mérida. The architects refer to this prominent aspect as a plastic ‘cloud’.

With a curvaceous skate park that can be used for skateboarding, rollerblading, or cycling, a large climbing wall, an open amphitheater encouraging shows, as well as music and dancing, what teenager would stay away? The open and inviting structure, meant to welcome all, is supported by the oval pods that house the activity rooms as well as the offices.

I’d say the whole edifice screams fun.

via the archhive and architectural review

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Mark Wagner: Currency Collages

art, collage, currency, dollar bill, art and economy, paper art, moneyart, collage, currency, dollar bill, art and economy, paper art, moneyart, collage, currency, dollar bill, art and economy, paper art, moneyClick to enlarge for detail

My friend Eric introduced me to Mark Wagner’s currency collages a few years ago in Chelsea. It seems to me that today’s economic climate is a perfect time to share them. These collages, made exclusively with the U.S. Dollar, speak to the cultural, social and political roles that money plays in our society.

Mark Wagner, originally from the Midwest, is a Brooklyn based artist who writes and makes books in addition to his collages. His statement on his currency collages is as follows:

The one dollar bill is the most ubiquitous piece of paper in America. Collage asks the question: what might be done to make it something else? It is a ripe material: intaglio printed on sturdy linen stock, covered in decorative filigree, and steeped in symbolism and concept. Blade and glue transform it-reproducing the effects of tapestries, paints, engravings, mosaics, and computers-striving for something bizarre, beautiful, or unbelievable… the foreign in the familiar.

The detail on these collages is amazing. The second and third collages above also show zoomed-in sections to appreciate even the tiniest image.

All images courtesy of Mark Wagner and Pavel Zoubok Gallery.

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Aaron De La Cruz

Aaron de la cruz street art, graffiti, LA street art, Honolulu, collabcubedAaron de la cruz street art, graffiti, LA street art, Honolulu, collabcubedAaron de la cruz street art, graffiti, LA street art, Honolulu, collabcubedClick to enlarge

Illustrator, street artist, graffiti artist, designer Aaron De La Cruz started drawing on everything, including the walls of his bedroom, from a very young age. Much of his street art appears in California, from L.A. to San Francisco. His work, “though minimal and direct at first, tends to overcome barriers of separation and freely steps in and out of the realms of design, graffiti, and illustration.”

Next Saturday, October 15th, 2011, De La Cruz will be showing past, present, and future work at his exhibit Long Walk Home at Loft in Space in Honolulu. Included in the exhibit will be a room created to look like his childhood bedroom… the one where he drew on the walls.

via Arktip

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Bring to Light Festival

Light Festival, Nuit Blanche, Greenpoint, Art, InstallationsLight Festival, Nuit Blanche, Greenpoint, Art, InstallationsIf you’re in NYC, you might want to check out the Bring to Light Festival tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Taking place simultaneously with “nuit blanche” events in other cities around the world, the festival will showcase site-specific installations of light, sound, performance and projection art from emerging, as well as established, artists re-imagining public space. The streets and waterfront of Greenpoint will be transformed.

Sounds like something that shouldn’t be missed.

The ferry schedule will be extended till midnight from East 34th St. Pier in Manhattan and N. 7th St in Williamsburg. You can see more on how to get there here. And more about the festival and artists here.

It all starts in 6 hours and 5 minutes…. 4 minutes…

via Flavorpill and NPR

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Rafaël Rozendaal: Internet Art

Interactive art, internet art, domain name art, collabcubedInteractive art, internet art, domain name art, collabcubedClick to enlarge.

Dutch-Brazilian, world-traveling artist Rafaël Rozendaal uses the internet as his canvas, in addition to the more traditional installations, drawings and writing. Much of his art, however, is in the form of websites. Mostly interactive, these sites are playful and many times simple in their execution; each with their own URL. As a result the URLs of Rozendaal’s art are for sale.

Rafaël Rozendaal is also the creator of Bring Your Own Beamer, an international series of one-night exhibitions where artists bring their own laptop and/or slide projector (beamer) to show their work. Anyone can make a BYOB exhibition, according to Rozendaal’s website: 1) find a space; 2) invite many artists; 3) ask them to bring their projectors. Upcoming BYOB cities includ Sao Paolo, Portland, Maine, Darwin, Australia, Milan and Melbourne. You can check the calendar here.

Above are stills from a few of Rozendaal’s websites. The individual names link to their respective URLs and are definitely worth checking out in their interactive mode.

From top to bottom and left to right:
Carnal Fury (x2); Color Flip; Tossing Turning (x2); Flaming Log; Paper Toilet; The Persistence of Sadness.

via +81