 |
 |
|
 |
|
       |
|
|
|
Beautiful and disturbing. These paintings are the work of Copenhagen based artist Esther Sarto. I have so many questions, but haven’t been able to find many answers. I did read somewhere that her work explores “inner visions, dreams and nightmares”… yep, that seems about right.
Damn. How did I miss this? ‘For All We Know’, an exhibition by American artist Oliver Jeffers just came down from the walls at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery {NYC} on February 16th. I love everything Oliver does – from his oil paintings to his absolutely fantastic kids books – and this show is no exception. Here is a description of this latest body of work:
“This series of paintings illuminate a dream-like nocturnal world populated by astronauts, deep-sea divers, sinking ships, floating pianos, and burning matches. Omnipresent throughout are the night sky and the ocean – the two great and unknown frontiers – glittered with the imaginary lines that create constellations, serving in this case as a mysterious key to unlock our world … Jeffers’ work follows the logic of dreams, of symbolic objects coming into relation with each other, and of the feelings that these objects hold. At the center are the themes of perspective and connectedness: the Earth as seen from the Moon, the stars as they appear from the face of the Earth, our minuscule presence in the greater universe, and how we relate to it all. The existential loneliness of the astronaut in Lost At Space, or of the deep-sea diver peering through his helmet in The Rescue, is portrayed in sensuous twilight shades. These recurring characters are seen together in A Break with the Unknown, sharing a cup of tea that neither can drink, watching the same bonfire reflected in their masks but seeing different things. Throughout this new collection, Jeffers looks at how humankind has always attempted to make sense out of chaos, has always made connections between himself and everything else. These connections, both real and imagined, suggest we are no more than the stories we tell, and the stories we are told. Stories that are brightly vivid, but all too brief.”
Beautiful. ps. Here are a few photos from the show… that I missed!?
Ceramics and stop-motion animation… well hello my new favorite combo! These whimsical wonders are the work of Taiwan born, New York based artist Taili Wu. Surprises inside Oreos, bacon ‘n egg eyes, and don’t even get me started on that record-playing ballerina! LOVE. Happy Friday.
Egg. Shells. Whoa. This truly delicate piece is the work of American artist Elisa Sheehan, and while this beauty is probably more appropriate as an Easter post, I’m going to declare my love for Elisa’s “Kintsugi Eggshells” on Valentine’s Day… love, love, oh so much love! ♥
Gasp! This is the colorful, beautifully composed, mushroom-filled work of American artist Jill Bliss. She draws and paints as well, but it’s her “Art Medley” photograph series that has my heart. She clearly knows how to seek out the best bits of the forest, and then arranges them into vibrant odes to the great outdoors. And it turns out, Jill is truly committed to being one with nature:
“I spent my seminal childhood years on a plum and walnut farm in northern California, while my adult life as a designer and artist took place in the big cities of New York, San Francisco and Portland OR. In 2012 I sold most everything I owned and bought a van, embarking on a year-long self-imposed west coast sabbatical to reconnect with the slower natural pace and living things I knew and adored as a child. That sabbatical year has stretched into a new life chapter – I’ve been living, working, traveling and exploring amongst the Salish Sea islands of Canada and Washington State ever since.”
Sigh. So dreamy.
Have you seen these amazing life-sized crocheted ‘n knitted works of fantastic-ness floating around the interweb? Well I have, and clearly I had to write about them too! This is the work of Finnish artist Liisa Hietanen, and here are her words about this series, titled “Kyläläiset (Villagers)”:
“I make sculptures by crocheting and knitting. The technique has become a way of thinking. It is continuous and present and allows a portrait to slowly find its character. I am currently working on a series called Kyläläiset (Villagers), which consists of portraits of my fellow villagers in Hämeenkyrö. I study the essence of familiarity and shared experiences. I meet the same familiar strangers every day on the street and our common world is the size of a small village. I am depicting the present moment by portraying my own surroundings, but at the same time I am bringing out something common to us all.”
Beautiful.
Oh. My. Word. I have just come across the work of UK based artist Claire Partington, and I am completely in love. Her portfolio is filled to the brim with meticulously hand built ceramics that do a beautiful job of blurring the line between classical and, well, not classical. The pieces above are two of my favorites: “London Venuses”, aka Lewisham and Kilburn – they are young, empowered and pregnant; and “Venus” – Claire’s version of the mythical Venus “complete with two-headed dog and Reebok classics.” LOVE.
I’ve written about Philadelphia based artist / illustrator Amze Emmons before {way back in 2012}, but I just found these pieces … bad pun totally intended. These works are graphite and gouache on handmade paper, and I’ll hand it over to Amze to explain the rest:
“Notations is an on-going series of drawings from my walks around Philadelphia. At about the same time I started this work, Nicole Donnelly (of the Paper Think Tank) started producing ‘Philly Kozo,’ a handmade paper made from Kozo growing wild along the banks of the Delaware River, on land belonging to the power company. This locally-sourced paper seemed appropriate to use for a series of street objects found on my local walks, and so the Notations drawings emerged. This series will require several more years to build up the quantity of work required to have the desired impact.”
Can’t wait! Happy Friday.
Yes, the island vibes continue this week… well, with a little nod to my fellow snow-loving Canadians. This is the work of UK born, LA based photographer Lukas Griffin. I was immediately pulled in by his color palettes, his absolutely stunning use of negative space, AND there is an entire section of his portfolio dedicated to Hawaii. Ah, a man after my own heart. Okay, I’ll be spending this whole week recreating three of the four images above, but will be back with fresh posts after that … aloha!
“So far, so good”, indeed! This is the vibrant, joy-filled work of Miami based artist Alex Yanes. I found his work via Wednesday’s post, and then proceeded to fall down an absolutely gorgeous rabbit hole. Sculptural paintings, installations, sharks and oh so many good vibes.
“Since he decided to pursue art full-time in 2006, his work has become his autobiography, speaking volumes about who he is and what he has seen. A son of the city, his story is influenced by his Cuban roots and an ever-growing curiosity about all the things Miami had to offer him during the 80’s and 90’s. Yanes’ work is the result of years spent immersed in skateboard, tattoo, hip-hop and rock culture during his teenage years, but says he felt the stirrings of creativity at a young age. He won his first art contest at age six and claims that one of his greatest accomplishments was building his own tree house at the age of 10; a feat he accomplished with the knowledge and tools imparted on him by his father and grandfather. Now a father himself, Yanes spends his time making art and raising his family in the city that raised him. Where he once worked on canvas, his art has taken on a life of it’s own, coming alive via wood, acrylic, resin and enamel into three-dimensional installations.”
Happy Friday.
|
 |
|
|
    |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|