Negatives

This was a rather popular pin so I thought I'd share it with you non pinners as well. Here's a new medium for a photo album: Etsy seller Beth-tastic (shop now closed), created this hauntingly beautiful piece of jewelry by covering photographs in resin.

The wonder above had me looking for others like it; and I came across a plethora of lovely resin bracelets at the buymycrap Etsy store. I am really digging the the birds on a wire ones below.

 

EDIT***I was lead to believe that Bethtastic and buymycrap were one in the same store,  but a commenter has informed me that this is NOT true. Please accept my sincere apologies.

Definitely a lesson learned!

Via neatorama

Scrap Metal Curiosities

Haribaabu Naatesan is a home-grown artist who turns E-waste into intricate engineered sculptures. 

I'm increasingly drawn to art inspired by mechanical objects, and Haribaabu's work is my current fixation.

 

The auto-rickshaw is a common subject in Desi popular culture, often featuring in artwork. His depictions of the vehicle are the best I have seen yet!

Via mymodernmet

Mechanical OCD

There seems to be a micro-trend in design for super organized layouts. Precise shapes with clear definition of lines, reboots the mind in the same way minimalist fashion counters a more kitschy aesthetic. I don't have a preference for one or the other; but I think what makes this 'resurgence of clean' meaningful is the usage of subjects that are usually not associated with simplicity.

An example of such visuals in recent times, is the widely hyped - making of the Ikea cookbook video 'Homemade is the Best'. It certainly changed my perceived notion of baking being messy. If you haven't seen it already, you must...its really a treat for the eyes!

IKEA – Homemade is Best. from Forsman & Bodenfors on Vimeo.

Backtracking to the intended artist of this post:  

Todd Mclellan's 'Disassembly' project is a series of images depicting the deconstruction of period mechanical objects, shot in two different ways. The first is where the object appears to shatter apart in mid-air, revealing it's component parts. The second is what actually drew my attention to Mclellan's work; the said component parts laid out on a plain background, in an almost OCD-like manner. The two sets of images together create a stimulating graphic impact, where the viewer attempts to put the parts together; like pieces of a puzzle.

For the Love of Africa

I spent a fair portion of my childhood in East Africa, and with that came proximity to expansive wildlife reserves. South African born Greek artist: Dimitra Tzanos's 'For the Love of Africa' graphic illustration series, evoke memories of safari trips sighting endless Wildebeasts, while hoping to catch a glimpse of a Lion.


Nostalgia aside; her use of negative space, colors, patterns and shapes are magnificent in their own right.

Broken Record

Its funny how records & cassettes bring about instant nostalgia. Giuseppe Siracusa and Angelo Bramanti's 'Syracuse in VHS'  mixed media piece is an unlikely composite of objects, taking me back to pre-digital times. With a preference for working with waste materials; the duo have an arresting grungy aesthetic, especially in their works using old records.

'Syracuse in VHS'

'Fixed Khrist Super Star'

'Through the Barricades'

'Through the Barricades'

Embodied Formations

At first glance these images of flowers and butterflies may seem like nothing out of the ordinary, but look closer and you're guaranteed to be mesmerized! Each piece in artist Cecelia Webber's Flower and Butterfly series are a meticulous compilation of countless, photographed and edited, formations of nude human bodies. Cecelia's process includes photographing each pose, rendering and editing the photograph. She also tends to include herself in the composition, by setting the camera on timer. An image can take over two months to complete in relation to the number of precise poses required in each one. 

Talk about optical illusion!

Via mymordernmet

Couture Dummies

I'm in love with these haute couture dress-forms by Emannuel Bossuet in collaboration with vintage mannequin maker: Stockman. Emmanuel Bossuet is a decorative artist and the founder of EEM a design firm geared towards unique projects. From what I have seen from EEM's facebook page, a lot of his work is geometric in nature. A spell-binding monochrome print on a bust-form is a match made in heaven for me; putting my regular black dummy to shame. I wouldn't dare bring a pin within a metre of these beauties, though! Created in limited addition, they have already been acquired by collectors world-wide and the three originals are on display at the Bon Marche department store in Paris. The one on my wishlist is the the stripe detail dress-from with the most amount of black. I think its genius how the placement of the pattern accentuates the contours of the form.

 

 

 

I'm also loving these plates he created for Ascete. The first one reminds me of a spirograph toy I had as a child; which let you make dizzing designs by spinning circles with a pencil. Come to think of it, the toy is probably the reason I am so enamored by geometric patterns today.  

Emannuel Bossuet's work is definitely one I will be following! 

via trouvaillesdujour

Knit Knacks

I know I have been slacking with my blog posts lately, which I will blame on my new found pass-time: knitting!! :) For a 'maker' like me its seriously addictive, not to mention relaxing. I've only just learnt and I am still figuring out the nuances, but I intend on posting some work once I embark on some legitimate knitting projects.

In the mean-time, I will leave you with a collection of ace cocoon knitwear entitled Unconventional Body Pieces by Vietnamese-Hungarian textile/fashion designer Phoung Thuy Nguyen. Nguyen received considerable amount of press for these handmade knit pieces made solely of rope. All I can ask is HOW??!

On a similar note: How fantastic are these Converse x Missoni SS12 Auckland Racer knit motif kicks?!

Layered Manipulation

These images by Swedish artist Johan Thörnqvist are one of the most interesting photo-manipulation series I have seen yet! Using a graphics tablet and Photoshop; he creates surreal, dream-like worlds by layering illustration over photograph. Although his cartoon renditions are great; I feel the detailed, multidimensional cityscapes drawn in unexpected contexts and scales are his more exemplary works. I especially love the whimsy and pastel color stories of the last three.

Via My Modern Metropolis 

Shingo Sato

Having not made anything in a while, left me with designer's block. I was on a hunt for inspiration and came across Shingo Sato's videos on transformational-reconstruction pattern design. It's an intuitive way of going about making patterns, enabling experimentation without the constraints of traditional drafting methods. While the dart manipulation techniques weren't new to me, I was intrigued by the creation of the 3D styles he demonstrated. Shingo Sato has held pattern workshops at some high profile fashion education institutions, introducing students to a fresh way of creating. He also designs for private clientele.

I recommend these videos to anyone remotely interested in how clothes come to life. This isn't the way it's usually done, but is definitely a more fun and inspiring way. You can visit his youtube channel where there are more videos. My favorites are the ones below. Watching them require a bit of patience, but the end result is worth it!!

 

 

Shingo Sato's book cover.

Via Fashion Incubator

Transfigured Terrains

Over a couple of months, I've bookmarked some cool outdoor installations/ landscape art/ environmental art. I thought I'd include them all in one big post. No need too elaborate too much on why or what...sometimes art just is...

First up is 'Colored Pencils' by Jonna Pohjalainen. You can find more pictures of her work on environmentalart.net, a whole site dedicated to Finnish art of this genre. Is it a big thing in Finland??  

I love the whimsy of this one created by Mehmet Ali Usyal for last year's 5 Seasons Festival in Chaudfontaine, Belgium.

My favorite has to be a series of nest-like outdoor installations by artist Patrick Dougherty, created through the span of his career.  He has built more than 200 such sculptures around the World. I was amazed by the sheer size of his work which requires "sticks by the truckload". Its also fascinating how he managed to make organic forms, in natural environments, using a basic of-the-earth material; look so other worldly.